On the recordDecember 11, 2019
I am just so thrilled and excited to be reintroducing my Social Security reform bill, the Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act of 2019. Today, our prized Social Security program is at risk. Currently, Social Security is fully funded until 2035 but faces a financial shortfall after that. And while there is broad agreement that we need to take steps to improve the fiscal outlook for Social Security, there is not enough attention given to the need to improve the system so that it works better for vulnerable populations, including women, people of color, and low-income people. My bill would both improve benefits and extend the program's solvency. Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw your attention to three critical components of my bill: My bill would modify the special minimum benefit to credit workers for up to 5 additional years of work to reflect the years workers provide care for a child under 6 years old. This, of course, is especially important for women. We need to value caregiving and acknowledge that this uncompensated labor is not free. Mother work is work. My bill also extends the benefit eligibility for children of retired, disabled, or deceased workers who are full-time students enrolled in college or vocational schools up to the age of 26 years old. In this knowledge-based worldwide economy, this benefit needs to be reinstated.…
