Bob Wise: “We are balancing our rhetoric, if not the budget, at this point. Let me just say, in response, that the gentleman makes…”

“We are balancing our rhetoric, if not the budget, at this point. Let me just say, in response, that the gentleman makes some good points. I want to point out that the Social Security system is in a separate fund; it has always enjoyed that reputation, that integrity with the American people. Indeed, when many years ago there was a first attempt at encouraging, if you will recall, when the Treasury was beginning to divert some funds coming in, on a bipartisan basis this House raced in, closed that loophole, paid the money back with interest, and said, ``Never again.'' I think that reflected the sanctity of the Social Security system. Yes, indeed, there are many other areas, but those are not funded. They come out of the general fund, VA, Federal retirees, the COLA's particularly. I do not know of any other program that is totally generated with its own revenues, including the cost-of-living adjustments that Social Security recipients receive. Furthermore, as the gentleman has been one of the ones most aggressive in promoting honest budgeting and honest accounting, and yet he has to be as frustrated as many of us to know that our real deficit is significantly higher because the Social Security surplus that the gentleman refers to masks that. It just seems to me that you could have sound fiscal policy by moving it off.…”