Joe Manchin: “I rise today on behalf of the 476,000 West Virginians who rely on Social Security benefits. Majorities of our seniors in…”

“I rise today on behalf of the 476,000 West Virginians who rely on Social Security benefits. Majorities of our seniors in every State rely on Social Security benefits, and we know that we are in trouble. The Senate is considering the Social Security Fairness Act, which would repeal the windfall elimination provision and government pension offset from the Social Security benefit calculation, providing relief for many public employees who have been adversely impacted. Now, make no mistake: We have a problem. We all agree. The status quo is unfair, and it penalizes millions of hard-working Americans--whether it is teachers, firefighters, police officers, among others. But we also have an obligation to honor our promises to ensure that Social Security is going to be there for the people who have paid into it and have earned it and also for those generations who come afterward. We can fix this problem without blowing a hole in the Social Security trust fund. This is a $200 billion pricetag, and we can fix that without having any--any--effect on our budget; but it is just unbelievable that no one seems really concerned about what we have in the debt we are facing. One of my first meetings here and hearings I had gone to--and this was in early 2011--was for the Armed Services Committee. I asked Admiral Mike Mullen--I said: Chairman Mullen--the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff--what is the greatest threat facing America?…”