Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to recognize Salvatore Rizza, a prime example of an Italian immigrant who came to this country, started his own business, married the woman of his dreams, raised three amazing daughters, and at the age of 90 is still going strong and contributing to the country he loves. Born in Siracusa, Italy, to Antonio and Nancy Rizza, husband to his beloved Josephine, and father of Nancy Larson, Susan Mahoney, and Cynthia Campbell, Sal's story is an example of the rich contributions immigrants make to our communities, our culture, and our Nation. Sal is the former owner and operator of the S & G restaurant in Hartford and was a star soccer player. He was the captain of the Italian-American Stars Soccer team that won the 1967 amateur soccer championship and was later inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame in 2018. And while he himself never had the privilege of a college education, Sal worked hard and sacrificed to make sure all three of his daughters did.

It is in tribute to Sal and his accomplishments--his love of family, his Italian heritage, his community, his state, and the Nation he loves. On behalf of his daughter, Nancy, his grandson, Matthew, his granddaughter, Arianna, and his son-in-law, Tim, it is a privilege to honor this remarkable man--another great story in American history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the number one antipoverty program for children. That is, of course, Social Security.

Last night, in his state of the Union and over the weekend, the President and Elon Musk referred to Social Security as a scam and a Ponzi scheme. I don't believe the people who receive those benefits believe that Social Security is a scam. It is the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly. Since its inception in 1935, it has never missed a payment.

It is, for capitalism and entrepreneurialism, our safety net. Yet, Mr. Speaker, as you know, Congress has not acted on enhancing Social Security in more than 50 years. Richard Nixon was the President of the United States the last time Congress, whose responsibility it is, did anything to extend benefits. That includes a COLA that is out of place, as AARP indicates, as well as tax cuts for people who continue to have to work after they retire and then have their Social Security double taxed. It also applies for an across-the-board increase for all of our citizens who haven't seen that since 1971.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, there are 10,000 baby boomers a day that become eligible for Social Security, and that is why it is so important.

In your district in Illinois, Mr. Speaker, there are 173,000 Social Security recipients: 135,000 of them are retired; 14,900 are disabled; 9,855 are widows; 4,438 spouses; and more than 8,000 children, but that is not the most important thing, even though all these details are important, but the Sixth District in Illinois receives $323 million monthly.

Where does that money go? That money goes to the recipients that I just listed.

Where do they spend that money? They spend that money right back in Illinois' Sixth District. Yet Congress hasn't done anything to enhance or extend the program in over 50 years.

Mr. Speaker, we are long overdue for a vote. We have got a plan that both expands Social Security across the board, makes sure that people who continue to work don't pay taxes on their Social Security, and make sure that we have a COLA that works.

Don't you think, Mr. Speaker, it is long overdue for us to have a vote?

If you have a better idea and plan, by all means, bring it to the floor in this great democracy and see it work. Instead, we see the President and Elon Musk with their eyes on the Social Security trust fund because he has been ordered to come up with $2 trillion in cuts.

What a coincidence that there happens to be just over $2 trillion in the Social Security trust fund. What a coincidence that President Trump is calling for tax cuts for Social Security recipients, but doesn't pay for them, further weakening the trust fund that is already under stress.

If Congress does not act by 2033, there will be a 20 percent cut across the board for everyone. If Trump continues down his path of not paying for benefits, it will be over a 36 percent cut. There are over 5 million Americans, fellow citizens, who have paid in all their life and got nothing back from the government because Congress has not acted.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak and address the Chamber about the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the Nation's number one antipoverty program for children. I speak, of course, of Social Security.

Social Security is currently under attack by the Trump administration with just this weekend, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Trump calling Social Security a scam and Mr. Musk calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I am sure as you know in your district, you have 209,000 Social Security recipients: 157,000 are retirees; 25,000 plus are disabled workers; 10,000 are widows; 3,678 are spouses; and over 12,000 are children. I don't believe that you think that Social Security and the checks that these people receive is a scam or that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme.

In fact, in your district, $377 million comes into your district monthly that goes to those individuals. Where do they spend that money? They spend that money right back in your district at the grocery store, at the pharmacy, at the dry cleaners, heating and cooling their homes, paying their rent, their mortgage, and putting gasoline in their car.

The brilliance of Franklin Delano Roosevelt still lives on. This is capitalism's answer to have a safety net for people, who through no fault of their own or because they work and ultimately end up retiring, have benefits that they can live on. It is especially more important as people are living longer. They need these benefits that are currently under siege by an administration who has asked Elon Musk to find $2 trillion in cuts.

Where is he looking? He is looking right at your district, Mr. Speaker, and my district, and the 435 congressional districts, who, on average, receive $200 million monthly from Social Security where, on average, the more than 145,000 people per district that receive these benefits go directly back to the local economy.

We are looking for three Republicans to stand with a unified Democratic Party and Congress to push forward a bill that was last extended in 1971. Richard Nixon was President of the United States the last time Social Security benefits were extended for your constituents as well as my constituents in Connecticut.

It is long overdue. We have a COLA that doesn't work. We have people that continue to work after they receive Social Security that are taxed on their benefits. We have had teachers and firefighters and police officers, as well, who have been denied benefits. Now, while they are eligible for them, they are not funded and so that money comes out of the trust fund.

President Trump has now proposed a tax cut for Social Security that is unpaid for. That is over a $900 billion hit to Social Security and all the constituents who receive it.

Mr. Speaker, I know you to be a man of goodwill and you understand your district and what your people need, as well. It is long overdue for the citizens of the United States to have their Social Security benefits enhanced, not cut.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to include in the Record the Eulogy of Dorothy Christiana, delivered at her funeral by her grandson, Sam Iacobellis. Her granddaughter Nina Bloom provided the prayers of her passing and was followed by Sam, whose eloquence, tone, humor, with compassionate care captured a truly remarkable woman and the family she raised. I have had the privilege of knowing the Christiana family for over sixty years. The farm on 1215 Silver Lane was a magical and welcoming place made so by Dorothy's cooking and her delightful daughters, Linda, Patty, and Karen, always the center of her life, and the man to whom she was devoted--Carman F. Christiana. Carman ran the iconic family farm in East Hartford, thus carrying on a tradition and farming skill he acquired throughout his life, along with the woman who loved and cared for him deeply.

The story of Dorothy and her family, her husband Carman, her daughters, Linda, Patty, and Karen, is a story of love for the ages captured with eloquence by her grandson, Sam Iacobellis.

Thank you all for being here today as we celebrate a truly

extraordinary life.

To know her was to love her. My grandmother went by many

names in her dynamic 97 years.

Dotty. Dot. Aunt Dot. Mrs. Christiana. Mother Dear. Ma.

Gram. Great Grammie.

But to me, Dorothy Christiana was always Dee Dee. Born on

the 17th Day of the 7th month in the year 1927 in Manchester,

Connecticut. She was the youngest of three children to Frank

& Letitia Irwin. A graduate of Manchester High School's Class

of 1945. Active in planning class reunions, which,

appropriately, were always at the Manchester Country Club.

Dee Dee loved her hometown.

Whether it was regaling stories about working at a local

movie theater, parading down Main Street with her family and

friends after the Allies were victorious in the Second World

War, never missing a Memorial Day parade where she would

always point out her brother Ernie's Boy Scout troop or her

long-time Sherwood Circle neighbor, Frank, behind the wheel

of an 8th Utilities District fire truck, or holding court

next to my parent's fireplace on Thanksgiving Day with the

familiar refrain of, ``There are the runners,'' as soon as

the Road Racers returned, Dee Dee just loved Manchester. That

love will be forever eternalized, as she will be laid to rest

just a few miles from where she entered the world, next to

her parents, her brother Ernie, and her beloved husband,

Carman.

It is also appropriate that we are here today, in East

Hartford, the place where my grandmother met her love,

Carman, and started a family. The divine serendipity of a

faulty bus on Silver Lane where two strangers met and set off

a series of events that led to nearly all of us being

together today. That divine serendipity also led to three

daughters: Linda, Patty, and Karen. Three

strong, gritty, accomplished, intelligent women. Women whom

my grandmother knew better than they knew themselves and saw

different parts of herself in each of them. The keenest of

maternal instincts.

The farm they called home for decades was a place for

family, friends, food, laughter, and memories made. She was a

surrogate mother for the phalanx of people who always walked

through her front door. Speaking for my cousin Nina and I, we

so wish we could have been flies on the wall at one of those

legendary gatherings.

It is said that there's a special place in heaven for the

father of three girls. I remember seeing that written on a

piece of art hung in the home of dear family friends, Ray and

Peg Ramsey's home for years. I do not dispute that claim at

all. Ray Ramsey is certainly there. As is my grandfather

Carman, a man whom Nina and I never had the honor of meeting

but have heard glorious stories about for our entire lives.

I would like to say that I firmly believe that such a

special place also exists for the mother of three girls. My

grandmother raised three extraordinary women. Simply amazing.

While my grandfather's light was extinguished far too early,

it lived on in his wife and daughters. The strength and

vibrancy of these three women are in no small part due to the

fierce determination, ironclad will, and overwhelming dignity

of my grandmother. What an example. That is simply special.

What brings a smile to my face is that this legacy lives on

dynamically as ever with her granddaughter, Nina. Nina and

her husband Orion are raising three incredible young women:

Annie, Adalin, and Noelle. Three brilliant, kind, and loving

sisters who look after one another and lift each other up.

The symmetry is undeniable. It is a blessing beyond measure

that our grandmother got to be a great-grandmother three

times over and had the opportunity to get to know these three

dynamos and watch the torch passed to another generation of

impressively wonderful Christian women. She was a matriarch

in the truest sense of the word.

Her home was always open. Food was always on the table. All

were always welcome. And a card game was never far away. She

was the fiercest of competitors at the card table. A skill

and focus that she passed to her daughter Karen, who is

probably the best card player and partner anyone could ever

have. Was often reminded by my grandmother that ``there are

no friends in cards.'' But moments later, she would tell us,

``Oh no, it's just for fun. It's just a game.'' Mhm . . .

whether it was 9-5, set back, poker, Yahtzee, Uno, duckpin,

or Wii bowling. Nobody was going to stand in her way.

My grandmother was a prolific cook but was truly an iconic

baker. Pies: apple, blueberry, chocolate cream, banana cream,

lemon meringue, pineapple squares, Irish soda bread, cinnamon

tarts, red sauce (pretty good for an Irish woman), French

fries, clam dip, brownies with the best frosting you will

ever have, and so much more.

She loved to host backyard picnics, Christmas Eve and

morning celebrations, weekly card games with her group of

best friends, going to Shady Glen for a strawberry milkshake,

and sitting in her chair and reading the latest Janet

Evanovich book. My grandmother's talent for hosting and

making her home so warm for others lives on in her daughter

Patty. People are always comfortable under her threshold. A

tradition she proudly carries on every single day.

Dee Dee was a die-hard fan of UConn basketball, the Boston

Red Sox, the Green Bay packers, and horse racing. She loved

Elvis, Barry White, Lou Rawls, the Price is Right and murder

mysteries (whether in print or on TV). It was often a cause

of great consternation when the holiday movies bogarted the

regularly scheduled programming of Hallmark's murder mystery

roster. She had so many interests and talents and loved to

share them with all of us.

In the past few days, I have been seeking some comfort and

wisdom in processing the loss of a woman that all of us loved

so much and loved you all in return.

Two such examples have resonated with me, and I hope they

can do the same for you.

In Les Miserables, a musical adored by her daughter Linda

and rooted in sacrifice, selflessness, and dignity (all

traits that my grandmother embodied to a ``T''), the closing

lines of the show encapsulate the simple, but pure divinity

of living a life full of love. As the show comes to a close,

the hero, Jean Valjean, is welcomed to heaven after a life of

reformed selflessness and love. The bishop, who inspired the

story's hero to live a new life devoted to others, shared a

simple truth with Jean Valjean as he could finally rest:

``And remember the truth that was once spoken . . . to love

another person is to see the face of God.'' This sentiment,

based on the divinity of humanity and the power of love, is

something I have felt loving my grandmother and something I

hope she felt loving all of us here.

Finally, in the Wizard of Oz, a film my grandmother loved

(which may have something to do with the name of the leading

lady), a love she also passed on to our entire family, the

titular wizard also shares some wisdom about love and

affection.

As the Tin Man asks him for a heart, the Wizard says,

``Hearts can never be made practical until they can be made

unbreakable.'' The Tin Man responds, ``But I still want

one.'' After finally giving the Tin Man a garland-adorned,

ticking, heart-shaped timepiece, the Wizard concludes by

saying, ``And remember, my sentimental friend, that a heart

is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are

loved by others.''

If the Wizard is correct, then no one had a bigger heart

than Dorothy Christiana. She was just so loved. Loved

unconditionally by so many. The compassion she showed, often

in her unique way, was the privilege of a lifetime.

In closing, it's hard to fathom how much I'll miss my

grandmother. The chats about basketball, politics, cooking,

the family. All of it. It's equally difficult to put into

words how much she loved all of the people here. But there is

a silver lining. One week ago, a bus arrived. Except this one

was not faulty this time. It was right on time. It took my

grandmother on. It took her to a table where Lil, Clara, and

Fawn were. Where Ernie & Beatty were already dealt on the

table. A blueberry pie was in the oven. Elvis was playing on

the radio. Ten duckpin bowling pins were reset. Her parents

were waiting for their little girl with arms wide open. And

her beloved Carman, smiling. Finally reunited. Showered with

love. What a life well lived.

I love you so much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak directly about the Nation's preeminent antipoverty program for the elderly and the Nation's preeminent antipoverty program for children. This is something that Congress and the administration need to focus on.

My colleagues can imagine how many Americans, whether they are here today or listening at home, reacted when they heard over the weekend that Elon Musk, the wealthiest man in the world, the billionaire, said that Social Security is a scam and a Ponzi scheme.

That Ponzi scheme that assists over 70 million Americans is hardly a Ponzi scheme, nor is it a scam. The real scam

is to tell the American people that you need $2 trillion and assign that to a billionaire who has no accountability, did not have to go through Senate approval, is not a government employee, and isn't even a volunteer. Yet, he is placing his will on a Republican-led Congress in both the House and Senate.

All that is needed is three Republicans to stand up and say: No. Wait a minute. This is not what the Nation needs. We do not need to cut Social Security benefits. We need to enhance them.

Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues are aware, in the Speaker's district alone, there are 189,000 Social Security recipients who haven't received an increase in benefits in more than 50 years. There are 147,000 retirees, 20,000 disabled workers, 8,700 widows, 3,700 spouses, and over 9,000 children who are depending upon Congress to fulfill its responsibility and job.

Furthermore, a fact that most Members don't realize is that, in the Speaker's district in Minnesota, $325 million per month goes to those Social Security recipients. It hasn't been adjusted in more than 50 years.

It is long overdue for Congress and for the citizens of this country to demand of their Congress that they take a vote to let the people know where they stand. Members should let the people know whether they are going to stand with them and the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and children or stand with Elon Musk and Trump to make sure that $2 trillion is cut so that it can make way for further tax cuts for the Nation's wealthiest 1 percent.

At over $500 billion, I would think Mr. Musk might say: Do you know what? This is a great Nation that has provided me these great opportunities. How about we care for them the same way this Nation has cared for us?

He won't lose a moment of sleep at night. For more than 40 million Americans, Social Security is the only benefit that they have. Whether it is in Minnesota or Connecticut, they will be losing sleep over the fact that they are worried about whether or not they are going to be able to get their benefits, the thing they rely on to put food on their table and to heat and cool their homes.

This is no extravagant item that people are asking for. This is something that they have earned and paid for. Their government continues to not act and respond the way that they should do.

Mr. Speaker, we need a vote. The Speaker owes it to his people. We owe it to ours. Let's have a vote and give these individuals the Social Security benefits that they need.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the number one antipoverty program for children. That program is Social Security.

Yet, Mr. Speaker, as you know, Congress has not addressed or enhanced Social Security in more than 54 years. Richard Nixon was President of the United States the last time that Congress enhanced Social Security.

I am sure it is of interest to some of our listeners here today that Social Security is the number one insurance program for a Nation who relies on their government to make sure that it passes on savings to them that they have paid for. This is no entitlement. All one has to do is go to their pay stub where it says FICA, Federal insurance contribution. Whose money is that? It is your money.

Yet, Congress hasn't acted on it. However, we want to give that opportunity to everyone to act on it.

What is especially alarming, Mr. Speaker, is now Mr. Musk--an unelected official who operates outside of government, who doesn't need to be approved by the Senate, who is neither a Federal employee nor a volunteer, he has the ear of the President of the United States and can get all the statistics and data that he wants--is currently going after Social Security data.

I commend the Federal employees who have stood up to this illegal act and refused, in an effort to protect American citizens' valuable information and, most importantly, their privacy.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, you have 115,000 Social Security recipients in your district: 86,000 are retirees; 10,000 are disabled workers who rely on this money; 5,486 widows; 2,600 spouses; 8,613 children; and your district gets on a monthly basis $197 million.

Where do they spend that?

Right back in your district, Mr. Speaker.

Nobody gets wealthy on Social Security. It is the safety net for capitalism. That is what Roosevelt intended it to be. It is long overdue that we have a vote in the United States Congress to enhance Social Security benefits for all Americans.

There are 10,000 baby boomers who become eligible for Social Security every day. More than 70 million people receive Social Security, and now Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump are out to cut those benefits?

Ask your constituents where those cuts are going to come from, Mr. Speaker. Are they ready to say that cuts ought to be made to the money that they receive?

In something that was widely debunked last week, President Trump made the most outlandish claim that Social Security is contributing money to people who are supposedly 150 years old. That was widely debunked as false and untrue, but it is the kind of thing that is seen in dictatorships or at the start of fascism when people all of a sudden make outlandish claims that are untrue with regard to the Nation's number one insurance program for the elderly and our children, which Congress hasn't enhanced in more than 54 years.

The public ought to be demanding a vote of its Members. Do not let any Member of Congress stand up without saying where they stand on your benefits.

Mr. Speaker, due to unforeseen circumstances, I regrettably missed votes on February 11, 2025. Had I been present, I would have voted: Nay on Roll Call No. 38, On Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 122. No on Roll Call No. 39, On Agreeing to the Resolution H. Res. 122.

Mr. Speaker, due to unforeseen circumstances, I regrettably missed votes on February 10, 2025. Had I been present, I would have voted:

Yea on Roll Call No. 36, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 692. Nay on Roll Call No. 37, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address ongoing concerns about Social Security, especially just in this past week since Mr. Musk has decided that he, in an unauthorized position not approved by the Senate and with no accountability, is after everybody's data and information at SSA.

Mr. Speaker, it might surprise some of the viewers in our audience to know why the wealthiest man in the world needs to know your Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid information. Privacy is something that Americans value. Data is something that billionaires can turn into money. Mr. Speaker, we need to know what role Elon Musk and DOGE--or I call it dodge because they dodge accountability--will have with the agency and everyone's hard-earned benefits, as if an unconfirmed, unelected billionaire should have access to yours or anyone's sensitive information.

If the cuts that they are promising and what he is looking for come through, then that means people's personal Social Security will be reduced by 36 percent. It hasn't been enhanced since Richard Nixon was President of the United States. Now, Mr. Musk is out because he has been charged to cut the budget by $2 trillion. As everyone knows, 70 percent of the Federal budget comes from Social Security, Medicare, and defense.

They are coming after you. Specifically, they need that data also so he and his minions of unauthorized, unaccountable people can go forward.

We have written to Acting Commissioner King. Attorneys general across the country, including my own from the State of Connecticut, Attorney General Tong, are putting forward attempts. Then, we learned today or this

morning that President Trump says that he is just going to ignore the courts because he believes that he is above the law, Mr. Speaker, that he is not accountable to anyone. Now, he is saying that he is not even accountable to the courts because he and the billionaire class have gotten together and said: Don't worry. No one on the Republican side of the House and Senate who controls both the House and Senate is going to speak up and challenge us.

We need to protect Americans' privacy and their Social Security. For 40 percent of all Americans, Social Security is the basis for their retirement and their retirement savings. For 28 million Americans, Social Security is the only thing that they have, and that is why we have to make sure that we are protecting it, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about Social Security, the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the Nation's number one antipoverty program for children.

Every Member of this 435-person body is impacted by Social Security. It might surprise you, Mr. Speaker, that Social Security has not been enhanced in over 50 years.

For what purpose is Mr. Trump's latest proposal, and that of Elon Musk, to acquire all the data and information on the more than 70 million Social Security recipients and Medicare and Medicaid recipients?

Americans should be outraged. Clearly, one would hope that people in this body are outraged enough to speak up on behalf of their citizens. Why? More than 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security. More than 70 million people across this Nation receive Social Security, a governmental insurance program that has never missed a payment. Yet, Congress hasn't enhanced the program in over 50 years.

God help us, but Mr. Musk has plans for Social Security and Medicare. They have been charged with cutting $2 trillion out of the budget. The three largest items in the Federal budget are Social Security, Medicare, and defense. Where is Mr. Musk going with this, and why does he need the data and information on every American citizen and more than 70 million Social Security recipients?

I hope that you, Mr. Speaker, are mentioning this to your constituents in your district. You have over 115,000 people who get pensions from Social Security; 88,000 retirees; 10,000-plus disabled workers, most of them veterans; 5,486 widows; 2,509 spouses; and 8,000 children.

Mr. Speaker, what most Members don't realize is that this is the number one economic development plan for every single congressional district. Why? Every district, on average, gets $2 million a month from Social Security because it goes directly to those constituents, Mr. Speaker, who I just named.

Where do they spend that money, Mr. Speaker? Right back in their own districts, right back at the local pharmacy, at the grocery store, on heating and cooling their homes, and on putting gas in their tanks.

This is what the American people are facing.

When are people in this body going to have the guts to stand up and take a vote for their constituents, people who haven't seen a benefit enhancement in more than 50 years?

Do we think the cost of living has changed a little? Is it okay that 5 million of our fellow Americans get checks below the poverty level, having paid into a system all their lives? Is it okay that most of them are women because they have spent less time in the workforce while taking care of their children? When they were in the workforce, they were earning less.

Rise up, America. Rise up, Mr. Speaker. Join us in saying: Let's have a vote. Let's send what our constituents need. We haven't done the job in more than 50 years. Now is the time to act.

Mr. Trump says that he is going to make sure he eliminates taxes on Social Security. That is another major problem. Of course, we have that in a bill that is before this body. The difference is we pay for it. Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump don't want to pay for it because what they want to do with that money is provide another tax break for the wealthy on the backs of everyday working Americans who have done this throughout their lifetimes.

Mr. Speaker, I hope everybody in this Chamber finds some spine, stands up, and takes a vote on Social Security.

Mr. Speaker, I am here this morning, and I rise to speak and address the Nation's number one insurance program: Social Security.

Mr. Speaker, it might surprise you that on average, there are about 150,000 Social Security recipients per district. What is equally shocking, however, is that Congress has done nothing in more than 50 years to comprehensively address Social Security, the Nation's number one antipoverty program for seniors and also for individuals.

I know we will have another Speaker, but in the gentleman's district alone, there are over 175,000 recipients. Social Security brings in a monthly amount of almost $200 million. That makes it the best economic development program in the Nation with everyone receiving those benefits.

Yet, Congress hasn't acted, Mr. Speaker, since Richard Nixon was President of the United States. That was back in 1971. Now, some will say: Wait a minute, didn't we just recently pass something for teachers and firefighters and police officers and municipal employees? Yes, we did. We did pass that, but we did not enhance it because we didn't pay for it. In essence what that does, being unpaid for, is further hurt the Social Security program by about $98 billion.

President Trump has got a proposal. His proposal is to do away with taxes for people on Social Security. We have had that proposal in a bill for more than 10 years. The difference is we pay for it so that the trust fund stays intact, Mr. Speaker. The President does not, so what that would mean is if it were to pass unpaid for, that by 2030, there would be a 36 percent hit on everyone's Social Security.

In other words, 2 years after President Trump is out of office, the Social Security fund would be hurt by 36 percent. What does that mean? To the listeners out there and to you, Mr. Speaker, what it means is that is a 36 percent cut in their benefits.

The average benefit for Social Security for a male is $18,000 and for a female, it is $14,000. In 2030, do you think they could stand a 36 percent cut for that? The last time Congress enhanced Social Security for its constituents was 1971.

Now, some might say: No, wait a minute, in 1983 didn't Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan enhance Social Security? Yes, they did. They worked out a deal.

Mr. Speaker, they worked out a deal to prolong the length of Social Security. They did so by raising the age, which sounds logical, doesn't it, until you realize that for every year you raise the age, that is a 7 percent cut in benefits.

Proposals by the Republican Study Committee to raise the age to 70, for all of the C-SPAN viewers and listeners out there, that would mean a 21 percent cut in their benefits. As I said, that Social Security pension benefit for 40 percent of Americans is the only thing that they have.

That is why this Congress has to take action and do something constructive for all Social Security recipients. As has been expressed by President Biden, there is a pretty simple solution staring us right in the face. Everybody ought to pay into Social Security. Billionaires and millionaires shouldn't be exempt from paying into Social Security. Some pay nothing. Others are done paying by January 1. Working-class America has to pay throughout. Vote for Social Security.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a critical issue for all of America, Social Security.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, there are more than 70 million Social Security recipients in the United States of America. What most Americans don't realize is that it has been more than 50 years since Congress last enhanced Social Security. Richard Nixon was President of the United States the last time Congress voted to enhance benefits.

Now, some will say: Well, wait a minute, didn't we just recently vote on Social Security in terms of making sure that teachers and firefighters and municipal employees and police officers would be able to get Social Security insurance? The answer is, yes, we did, except it wasn't paid for, which means that when we say it hasn't been enhanced, in fact, what that did is cut the Social Security trust fund.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say that it is long overdue that we have a vote on Social Security. That doesn't seem to ask too much of the new Congress, and after all, the incoming President says that he cares about Social Security and has proposed also that there be tax cuts for people on Social Security. That is a good idea, except they have to be paid for. His legislation doesn't call for that, but ours does.

We have put before the American people, and will be bringing to the floor, Social Security legislation that enhances the program for the first time in 50-plus years. Imagine that, 70 million recipients. There are 5 million of our fellow Americans who get below-poverty-level checks from Social Security after having paid into the system all their lives because Congress hasn't acted. Congress hasn't voted.

There are some 35 million Americans whom the only benefit that they have is Social Security. The average Social Security payment is $18,000 for a male, $14,000 for a female. No one is getting wealthy on Social Security, but it is, as I like to say, the lifeline of capitalism, the full support for capitalism.

It allows people to take risks. It allows us to be entrepreneurial because in the event the business doesn't succeed or fail, there is that system. The

genius of Franklin Delano Roosevelt was that he saw that, and the genius of successive Congresses was that they enhanced the program. However, the last time it was enhanced, Richard Nixon was President of the United States in 1971.

This also is, for Americans, a lifeline because of what it does. Speaker Smith was just in the chair before, and I was explaining that in his district, he has over 150,000 recipients, Mr. Speaker. Those recipients are broken down in several different ways: Retirees, over 100,000; spouses, over 8,000; widows, 8,000; 14,000 disabled people in Speaker Smith's district, but they haven't received an increase from the United States Congress since 1971.

If you disagree with it--if you disagree that people don't deserve this, to have their Social Security updated, brought into the modern times that we live in, then vote against it, but for God's sake, for the more than 70 million Americans who rely on this and need this, it is long overdue for a vote. Don't you think so?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the concern that faces the United States Congress, one that it has avoided and neglected for more than 54 years.

Richard Nixon was the last President to enhance Social Security. That was in 1971. All of us are concerned on both sides of the aisle, but concern is no substitute for action. It is long overdue that Congress takes a vote on behalf of the American people.

Social Security is more than a pension program. I think the American public knows it and is getting aroused because there are 70 million Americans that are on Social Security and 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security.

Mr. Speaker, for example, in your district alone there are over 175,000 Social Security recipients. It is broken down into those who receive pensions, those who get spousal benefits, those who get widow benefits, children, and, of course, disabilities. More veterans rely on Social Security disability than they do on the VA.

It is not emphasized enough, but the other key thing is: Social Security is the best economic development program that there is in the country. Every district, on average, gets over $200 million coming into that district on a monthly basis.

Where do they spend that money? Nobody gets wealthy on Social Security. That is for sure. That money goes right back into the economy. It becomes something that Congress hasn't adjusted since 1971. I think there are a few things everyone would acknowledge that have happened to the economy since 1971.

Certainly, Congress is neglecting its responsibility. We can point fingers every way, but the bottom line is Congress needs to act. Congress needs to vote.

President Trump has called for tax cuts for people on Social Security. I applaud him. We have had tax cuts in our proposal for the last decade. There has been no action on that.

The difference between what we are proposing and what President Trump is proposing is that we pay for ours because if it is not paid for, what ends up happening is the Social Security fund will be bankrupted. It is still the number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the number one antipoverty program for children.

This economic development piece is something, again, that all of us ought to be able to embrace. I will provide every Member of Congress with a card that will demonstrate how many recipients they have and how much money comes into their district on a monthly basis.

For us, meaning the United States Congress, we are the only body that can act. The President can't do it through executive order. The Supreme Court isn't going to take it up. Only the United States Congress can. Inaction means the fund will be cut. Unpaid action means the fund will be cut drastically.

Imagine there are more than 5 million people that get a below- poverty-level check from Social Security, having paid in all their lives. That was not the guarantee that they signed up for.

There are close to 35 million people in total. This is the only benefit they have, again, attesting to the great vision and leadership of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, knowing this is actually the safety net of capitalism. This allows people to take risks because even if people were to fail, there is something there to catch them and help them and their families through this.

Congress has not acted since 1971. Some will say: No, no, wait a minute. Didn't Tip O'Neill? Yes, they did. It was primarily led by Senator Bob Dole, but Tip O'Neill got together with Ronald Reagan who was adamantly opposed to Social Security. Mr. Dole convinced him, no, this is the right thing to do.

What they did is they extended the solvency of Social Security to its current position. It is not as long as it should have been, but, nonetheless, it is an action that went in the right direction.

I know the Speaker to be a man of good will and integrity. I hope this is something that we can bring up and work on to get this done on behalf of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present for Roll Call Vote No. 3, Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 5, I would have voted Nay.

Had I been present for Roll Call Vote No. 4, Motion to Commit H. Res. 5, I would have voted Yea.

Had I been present for Roll Call Vote No. 5, Agreeing to H. Res. 5, I would have voted Nay.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 502, on H.R. 7213.