Sylvester Turner: “time after time, the Members of this House have pledged by votes cast on this floor to protect Social Security. We know…”

“time after time, the Members of this House have pledged by votes cast on this floor to protect Social Security. We know that until just a few months ago we were projecting surpluses as far the eye could see. And we pledged, when we passed the June tax cut, to protect Social Security. Then came the recession, then came the war, and the projected surpluses have turned into projected deficits for years into the future. Times have changed, but our principles should not change. Is it right to pledge the lockbox for Social Security one day and to abandon it the next? What does the abandonment of that pledge say to our senior citizens and to our children who will be left with a bankrupt Social Security trust fund? Both sides of this aisle agree we need to have a stimulus package to help the jobless workers with unemployment and health insurance. Both sides agree that we must stimulate business investments. But it is only the Democratic proposal that protects Social Security, only the Democratic proposal refuses to increase the national debt.”