Political Quotes

“for my colleagues, this is an amendment which relates to protecting Social Security. Social Security is a program that has been an enormous success, that is at the heart of the American middle class, and that represents a solemn promise our seniors have earned over a lifetime of work. It makes a real difference in real people's lives. It is the difference between comfort and poverty for over 20 million Americans. Rhode Island is a State where we count on Social Security. We value Social Security. We know how important it is. What I have heard firsthand from Rhode Island seniors over and over again is they want to make sure this program is solid and remains strong, not just for them but for their children and their grandchildren. Sadly, for decades, the history of the Republican Party has been one of repeated attempts to undermine this bedrock of middle-class retirement security, proposing over and over again various types of security cuts and, believe it or not, even turning Social Security's assets over to Wall Street to manage. This Democratic amendment establishes a point of order against any legislation that would reduce Social Security benefits, that would increase the Social Security retirement age, or that would privatize the program. This would help our moderate friends protect Social Security from rightwing attacks, and it would ensure that seniors, as a part of their American experience, can continue to count on benefits they have earned.…”