Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on Monday February 12, 2024 a great force for good was laid to rest. The outpouring of love, admiration, and respect for Timothy Coburn was a fitting remembrance for a man whose life was dedicated to doing for others. He is a legend in his hometown of East Hanford and Mayberry Village, the federal housing project we grew up in. I include in the Record a eulogy that only touches the surface of this veteran and great American who never forgot his beginnings.

Thank you, Father Mark, on behalf of Susan, Gabrielle,

Maryann & Katie.

The outpouring of love, respect, and admiration for a man,

who used all of his vast skills to take care of others, so

many of whom are gathered in this room, who have been

beneficiaries of his benevolence.

Gabrielle and Susan, the obituary was excellent, from that

handsome smiling Irish face to the content of thc obituary

and the enduring message about helping others, with a simple

yet poignant request: be kind to someone, even a stranger. It

makes a difference. So many gathered here and beyond can

attest to that. That was Tim Coburn! That was his request.

Sister Christine-Marie and the Sisters of Notre-Dame are

bursting with pride about the virtue of the man from Mayberry

Village they taught.

It all starts at home, and home will always be 76 Great

Hill Road in Mayberry Village. Ruth and John's favorite son,

Maryann & Katie's favorite brother, Susan's devoted love and

husband, and Gabrelle's loving and caring father.

Ruth and John deserve special acknowledgement. Mrs. Coburn

carted us all around the town to sporting events and brought

us treats when we were sleeping out in the backyard, as we

scrambled to hide the Playboys we were reading. We mostly

walked to Martin Park which was an upgrade from swimming at

BAB and the Hock. Mr. Coburn, with his shirt off in the

summer, looked like Tarzan, and he had that intimidating

look. You knew that you don't mess with John Coburn.

Athleticism was engrained in Tim, and his father always had

Track and Field apparatus from the shotput, discus, hammer

throw, and high jump bars. In fact, Frank Coburn, Tim's

grandfather, was a star in his own right and a member of the

New York Athletic Club, who nearly went to the Olympics, so

being an athlete was in his genes.

Talking with Carl Lepack, Gary and Jimmy Agnew, Kevin

Brown, and Dave Ryan, they all acknowledged Tim was the most

gifted athlete in our class. Lettering in football,

basketball, and track and being the captain of the track

team. He was also a great golfer, tennis player, and if we

had a pool in 1967, he would be a champion swimmer as well.

Above all, he was a competitor, he thrived on competition. We

were 5th and 6th grade basketball champions at Mayberry

school, we reminisced last September about the 98-yard

touchdown pass, he caught that beat Sunset Ridge with no time

left on the clock. We were still playing football in our late

20s for Mad Murphy's, and all the extracurricular activities

that involved. He competed at a high level in every sport he

played, but in track, like his grandfather, he excelled and

still holds the high school pole vault record, back when the

poles were still wooden and not fiberglass. But in sports as

in life, the thing about Tim is what mattered to him was the

camaraderie and how teamwork and teammates matter and become

friends for life.

I went to school with Tim at the little red schoolhouse,

Sunset Ridge, Mayberry School, Saint Rose's, East Hartford

High School, and Central before he transferred and graduated

from UConn. There was a gang of us that hung together, and

Tim was the ringleader, always up for the next adventure and

next exploration. It was Tim, Carl Lepack, Rick Hurteau,

Roger O'Sullivan, Max McGrath, Nunzio Parente, Billy Beven,

Ronnie Boyer, and my brothers Dan and Chris. Whether it was

cruising the Hock in cement tubs, or swimming at BAB, hiking

up what is now Wickham Park--what was then Wickham Estates--

playing every sport imaginable.

It was on the Hockanum that we got pulled over by the East

Hartford police that chastised us for being in cement tubs,

scolding us about how dangerous it was. They took our names

and addresses and said they were going to talk to our

parents. By the time I got home, the officers already visited

my mother and admonish me and said, ``Wait until your father

gets home!'' I ran up to Tim's house to see if they had come

there as well, as we had papers to deliver. Tim said no as

they haven't been to his house, though they had driven by it.

So we stood at distance at his house, and we wondered why

they didn't stop and the reason was because Tim had taken the

6 of 76 and flipped it around to make it an 9. But he said

since I was going to face brutal punishment with my father

coming home, he would take me to Bergren's Dairy to get a hot

fudge sundae before I went home to face my father. But to my

amazement, when I got home, divine intervention happened,

Father Munich was doing the census and consoled my mother

that were the boys like Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in Huck

Finn. So, when I went up and told Tim Coburn that Father

Munich had saved my life and called us Tom Sawyer and Huck

Finn, Tim told me ``You owe me a hot fudge sundae.''

Tim lived a life of helping others, he practiced his faith

and that carried over to his professional life. Healthcare

remains an extraordinarily challenging job, especially caring

for the elderly and disabled, and it's why this man of

compassion and commitment was so exceptional. He rose to

become the Executive Vice President of Medi-Plex and was

respected by everyone he worked with--in management, by the

employee's he worked with, and most importantly the patients

he served. When he left Medi-Plex, he went on to be the

person, the state of Connecticut, turned to, to help distress

facilities and became the leading administrator in the state

who had both, the experience and the credibility to save

homes from going out of business and provide people with

care. Tim, of course, credited the people he worked with, but

this was a guy that led by example. No task was beneath him

and time and again, he demonstrated to employees and patients

what leadership and caring are all about. Jim Malloy and

Brian Dickstein, underscored that professionalism and why he

was so successful and why the state relied on Tim. He lived a

life of helping other, and in doing so, he practiced his

faith.

Tim was authentic and genuine, not a phony bone in his

body. Dependable, Tim was always there for everyone,

especially Gabrielle and Susan, he had wanted and hoped to

make it to Valentine's Day, which is Gabreille's birthday.

There's an old Irish saying ``Those we love don't go away,

they walk beside us every day, unseen, unheard, but always

near. Still loved, still missed, and very dear. Death leaves

a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory that no one

can steal.'' There is a great void in our lives, a great

force of good is gone. During his life and with his passing,

he showed us what courage and humility are, and that the most

precious thing we have is time, and the greatest thing in

life is not the things we possess but the time we have with

each other.

So, as we leave here today and raise a glass in tribute to

Tim, let's honor his request--be kind to someone, even a

stranger, it makes a difference. Tim, thank you for being a

difference maker in our lives.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to include in the Record the eulogy of a great American, Raymond Noel Ramsey, who epitomized what a citizen who gives back to his community, state, and Nation is all about.

On behalf of Peg, Noele, Kelly, Melanie. and the entire

Ramsey family, thank you for being here for Ray. How about

that obituary and the prayer card! Ever the fashion

statement, wasn't he, with those bright pastels and those

shirts, that were a reflection of his personality. Yesterday

was quite an afternoon and quite a tribute. It was good to

see old East Hartford on display--the outpour of love and

respect for a man who lived it.

Now we know he had a great reception committee up there

with Billy Mud, Fred Kurtz, Fred Leone, and Jimmy Deleo

singing--I'm sure--as he entered the gates of Heaven. As Ray

would often remind the faint of heart, life is not a dress

rehearsal. He embodied both the right attitude and the

appetite for a life well lived.

Talking with several of you at the wake, and over the past

few days, about stories of Ray and what he would want this

service to be--Father, I have to start with a disclaimer

here--Craig Jordan, Kevin Brown, and numerous others want to

be clear that the funniest Rammer stories are not suitable

for church or in mixed company. I think it's safe to say he

was a guy's guy.

It was abundantly clear from all, that he would want an

upbeat sendoff on his next journey. First and foremost, and

most of all, the shared empathy, respect, and love for Peg

and his three angels, Noele, Kelly and Melanie. At the wake

it was hard viewing and watching them hold back the tears,

the grieving and the mourning and with each person. A memory

of a man whose actions were bigger than life, knowing even in

this difficult moment, what Ray would want is to celebrate

his journey and the relationships he shared with all of you.

I know I'm stating the obvious, as so many of you have spoken

of his lifelong love and relationship with Peg. Many of you

have attested that they were the quintessential couple. They

simply go together well, Ray and Peg. Peg and Ray. No

gathering was complete without them--and you talk about

opposites! Yet there was a greater bond that held them

together, certainly Noele, Kelly, and Melanie, but it was

their great faith and devotion to each other that always

resonated.

Many of you said Ray was always there for you, no matter

how trivial or important. How many of you can recall being

with Ray into the wee hours of the morning, partaking in the

elixirs of life and thinking--as I have--there's no way after

this that he gets up and takes Peg to mass in the morning--

only to be astonished again by him being there for her and

their faith, dependable and rock solid. That's love and

devotion. That's Ray and Peg.

Comradery is a great term about a gathering of friends, and

as Nick Olivia pointed out, with Ray, those gatherings were

always punctuated by having fun and enjoying one another's

company, whether at the Hose Club, the Dirty Dozen, the F&L

Dinners, or innumerable political events, Ray and a good time

were synonymous. He was always a doer, never a complainer and

put everyone else first. His last trip to Ireland is an epic

example. A trip he had planned for some time with Nick and

Vita, Bruce and Wendy, and he and Peg. As Bruce recalls,

weeks before, he had terrible and severe back pain and was

not feeling well, but would not let his health stand in the

way of a great trip with friends. While I'm sure the Guiness

helped, everyone knew he was in pain, but he did it because

of who he was and the people he cared about. That's Ray.

As my brother Danny says, having worked with Ray on

building the house--and you heard Father say how he did it

with his own hands--Ray had many skills, among his

specialties was electrical, with a minor in procurement. If

we needed hardware: nuts, bolts, nails, screws, blades, zip

ties, gloves, paint, or whatever, Ray always managed to come

up with a donor and keep us going. My brother went on to

describe his essence, saying what I believe everyone in this

room agrees with. He was the most dependable friend you could

have. First one on the site, and there till the end, and the

job was done. He had a broad base knowledge and a hands-on

versatility of all of the trades. Nothing that he couldn't

figure out with an occasional break for a Marlboro or two.

His heart was bigger than himself, it's as if he was made to

help everyone else. He was practical and direct and always

with an informed view.

Now, most here assembled know Ray was the master of the

power nap. From which virtually in any environment he could

fall into a deep sleep, and awake and rally.

Danny Delmastro, of course, cites the best example of his

capability at the annual Aero Med Christmas Party, when about

three-quarters the way through a great evening, Rammer says

to Danny he's going to ``step outside for a smoke.'' Danny

looks at him and says ``it's snowing,'' Ray just nodded and

about an hour later with the place closing down and everyone

looking for Ray, Danny went outside and found him on a bench

with about three inches of snow on his head and his shoulders

and said, ``Rammer!'' And Ray responded without missing a

beat that ``yes, I'll have a final final.'' That was our guy.

He clearly is a giant of a man, Jim Iacobellis noted that.

He said he had a giant talent. He could do anything he put

his mind to. He had giant knowledge. He knew so much about so

much, and if he didn't, he'd ask and inquire until he did. He

had a giant personality--the life and center of any

gathering, you always wanted to be around him and talk to

him. He was a giant friend. He had so many, and he knew them,

he knew what they liked, and knew what made them happy or

unhappy. He was also the first to accept new people and

become friends, as he did so with Jim more than 30 years ago

when he was the new kid on the block.

Now, we have a Bocce tournament and a gathering and have

done so for 32 years, and whether it's tents, limoncello,

garbanzo and hot peppers, you know, and of course, grilling

that sausage, it was Ray. And as Linda and Leslie attest and

verify and everyone agrees--without Ray, there would never

have been a Bocce. He was the essential part and mover.

I think it's safe to say that the way he lived his life and

in talking with David McQuaid, I said, ``David, he had a

great run.'' And David looked at me and says ``A run? He had

several runs.'' In short, Ray was authentic and original

without a phony bone in his body, dependable as the day was

long. He was always there for everyone and in so many

different capacities.

In this human comedy we call life, his skills, his

curiosity, his inquisitive and honest and practical advice

will be what I miss the most. He was the real deal. He was

the Rammer.

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

I want to commend President Biden. I commend him for putting forward the concept of making sure that Social Security is solvent into the next century and making sure that we expand benefits. He did so by saying we do something that is very common sense and practical: We lift the cap on people making over $400,000.

Most citizens probably don't realize that there is even a cap on Social Security.

Be that as it may, why is it that all individuals shouldn't have to pay into this system?

We have a poster here. God bless these wealthy individuals who are able to achieve great success and make vast sums of money, but why should a person making $30,000, $50,000, $75,000, or $100,000 pay throughout the year for their Social Security when these wealthy individuals will pay about 1 minute into the beginning of the year? Just last month was the last time that millionaires would pay anything into the system.

President Biden has said: Let's scrap the cap on people earning over $400,000.

I have had many townhalls where I ask people in the audience to raise their hand if they are making over $400,000. So far, I haven't seen a single hand go up.

Yet, they are exempt from participating in what is the Nation's number one insurance program for the elderly and also for children.

By the way, especially in this time of deficit talk, et cetera, it is completely paid for. This is a real kitchen-table issue because 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security, and they are sitting there asking: Well, why is it that Social Security hasn't been enhanced?

It is because the only body that can do that is the United States Congress, and it hasn't done anything since 1971 to enhance the program, Mr. Speaker, and to make sure that people are paying their fair share.

The fair thing to do here is to scrap the cap, which would extend solvency of Social Security instead of having a limit. It would also be able to provide benefits to people, including a COLA, that actually work on behalf of our senior citizens. It would include an across-the- board increase for everyone on Social Security since it hasn't been increased since 1971, and it would make sure that people who are currently paying taxes on their Social Security don't have to do so.

How are we able to do that? By having people pay their fair share, people who don't pay, in many instances, a penny into FICA. That is flatout wrong for the wealthiest nation in the world that has provided the benefits, freedoms, and liberty that has allowed these very successful people to succeed in the greatest country in the world.

It is time for us, Mr. Speaker, to come together and address this for all Americans as we seek to close the wealth gap that exists in this country.

For more than 40 percent, Mr. Speaker, of our fellow citizens, Social Security is the only benefit that they have. It is the only benefit that they have, and for these individuals to be exempt from having to pay into that system is absolutely wrong and unjust.

That is why, again, I commend President Biden for standing up for all Americans and saying that we are going to scrap the cap. We are going to lift that cap on people making over $400,000. It won't even be anything for them to do this.

What it will do is provide us the opportunity to expand Social Security, to make sure that Social Security now goes into effect by eliminating WEP and GPO that has wrongly penalized teachers, firefighters, police officers, their spouses, and their families from receiving the very Social Security benefits they deserve.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about the Nation's number one insurance program, Social Security.

It has been that way since Franklin Delano Roosevelt first introduced it. It continues to be the number one antipoverty program for the elderly and, frankly, Madam Speaker, the number one antipoverty program for children.

Yet, Congress has been derelict in its duty. There has not been a vote to enhance Social Security since 1971. Richard Nixon was President of the United States.

As we speak today, there are close to 70 million Americans who rely on Social Security. Of those 70 million, it is important to understand that 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security.

More than 5 million of our fellow Americans have worked and paid into a system and get below poverty-level checks from their government, the wealthiest in the world, with the Nation's number one antipoverty program that this body has not acted on in more than 50 years.

It is long overdue that we take the initiative and have a vote in the United States Congress that will help the American people.

Social Security is bedrock. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, you understand this.

Now, our colleagues on the other side have put forward something they call a study commission. We don't need to study Social Security. We know what needs to be done.

To have a study that goes behind closed doors and has an up-or-down vote that is unamendable, with no input from this body, is absurd, antidemocratic, and anti-elderly and -children from the standpoint of the havoc that it would wreak on this system.

The idea that they are doing this to save Social Security is a fallacy. They are doing it so they can go behind closed doors and cut the very program that sustains so many Americans. For more than 40 percent of all Americans who are on Social Security, this is the only pension benefit that they will have.

Madam Speaker, you know as well as I that it is not only a pension benefit. It is a disability benefit, as well as taking care of spouses and children.

Imagine, for our viewers in the audience, Congress has not taken a vote in more than 50 years for the Nation's number one antipoverty program.

It is long overdue that we not study this but do what we are elected to do by the public and actually vote.

If you have a better idea, put it out there, but we believe this, as well. I commend President Biden for saying, look, the way that we are going to pay for this is to lift the cap, or what is called Scrap the Cap, on people making over $400,000.

This past month marked when millionaires have already stopped paying into the Social Security program. Bill Gates stopped paying back in January.

That is wrong. It is not right. To lift that cap will allow us not only to extend the solvency of Social Security but increase benefits across the board for its members, to make sure that WEP and GPO, which have hurt teachers and municipal employees over the years, is finally scrapped; to have in there a tax cut for more than 23 million Americans who continue to pay taxes on their Social Security; and to make sure that everyone's benefits are enhanced.

Where does that money go, Madam Speaker? The money from Social Security goes right back into every single Congressional district, and it allows those individuals in that district to sustain themselves. Nobody's going out and buying stock options with Social Security 2100.

Mr. Speaker, I mistakenly voted ``nay'' on Motion to Recommit H.R. 485, rollcall Vote 39. I intended to vote ``yea.'' Additionally, I regrettably missed recording my vote On Passage of H.R. 485, rollcall Vote 40. Had I recorded my vote, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to talk about America's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the number one antipoverty program for children. That program is Social Security, our Nation's number one insurance plan. Currently, it is under siege.

Both Senator Wyden and President Biden have, I think rightly, said that what this amounts to is a buzzword for cuts to Social Security: a fiscal commission that is designed to have backroom meetings without hearings, unamendable, yet bring to both floors of the House and Senate an up-or-down vote.

This is put together by 16 people--4 who have no vote, 6 from the Senate, and 6 from the House--with only 7 votes required to pass a bill that goes directly to the floor for a vote. That is an abomination and dereliction of duty on behalf of the House and the Senate. I strongly oppose it.

It has been 53 years since Congress has enhanced Social Security. These are your brothers, sisters, family members, neighbors, and the people you go to church with. This money comes directly back to every single congressional district and your community, and it goes to help people.

The average Social Security check is $18,000 for a male and $14,000 for a female. There are 5 million of our fellow Americans who get below-poverty-level checks from the government because Congress hasn't taken responsibility.

We have a plan to change that. We put our plan out on the floor.

Mr. Speaker, contrast that with a behind-closed-door study. How about we do something for the American people like vote, vote on something that is essential to their livelihood?

As you know, Mr. Speaker, Social Security isn't just a pension plan. More veterans rely on Social Security disability than they do on the VA, and spousal and dependent coverage, as well, that we are providing.

Even President Trump has gone so far as to criticize Nikki Haley, and say, hey, listen, this idea of raising the age, which the Republican Study Committee calls for, is cutting benefits in Social Security. You listen to Donald Trump on everything else. Let us hope that you understand what he is talking about here in terms of gutting Social Security and causing across-the-board cuts to a vital program that every single American needs.

Mr. Speaker, there are also more than 28 million Americans who the only benefit that they have in retirement will be Social Security. It is an outrage that this body, in the House and the Senate, has not taken up Social Security both to improve its solvency and also to enhance its benefits.

We have a program that does that--a 2 percent across-the-board increase for everyone. It lifts 5 million Americans out of poverty who have paid into a system all their lives and get below-poverty-level checks from the government because of Congress' inaction.

It repeals WEP and GPO for teachers, firefighters, and municipal employees. It will provide a tax break for more than 23 million Americans. It does so by simply lifting the cap on people over $400,000.

What does that do? It pays for all of these benefits and also extends solvency well into the future.

That is what we should be doing as a body. We don't need to study Social Security. We know what this program does.

If my colleagues can honestly go home and look any fellow citizen in the eye and tell them that we don't need to improve Social Security, that we need to study it, God bless them.

What we need here is a vote on Social Security 2100 to make sure that we are enhancing benefits for the citizens we are sworn to serve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. I especially want to commend my colleague, Ron Estes, for working directly on this R&D tax credit.

Mr. Speaker, what you are hearing today on this floor is what happens when we work and pull together. We are in a race with China, and we had better be well aware of what we have to do with R&D, because that is critical to it.

I also commend Rosa DeLauro, whom you will hear from as well, Mr. Speaker. I thank Dr. Ferguson for what he has to say just about the child tax credit and how important that is. Children need to be protected.

Mr. Speaker, as we sit here currently, the Budget Committee is undertaking a matter of grave concern.

I include in the Record letters from both the AFGE and the AFL-CIO with respect to the establishment of the so-called fiscal commission.

January 12, 2024.

AFGE Applauds Lawmakers' Call To Reject Fiscal Commission

Washington--The American Federation of Government Employees

is echoing calls from nearly 120 lawmakers for Congress to

reject a proposed fiscal commission that would bypass elected

leadership and make recommendations to slash vital federal

programs and government services.

``A fiscal commission would give a small group of lawmakers

and non-elected individuals enormous power to recommend cuts

to Social Security and other popular programs without any

ability for the public to weigh in,'' AFGE National President

Everett Kelley said.

``If Congress is serious about preserving Social Security,

Medicare, and similar programs for future generations, then

it needs to have an honest discussion about how to do that--

not pawn off these decisions to a secret group behind closed

doors.''

On Jan. 11, Reps. John Larson of Connecticut and Jan

Schakowsky of Illinois sent a letter to House Speaker Mike

Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries signed by 116

members of the U.S. House calling on them to exclude a fiscal

commission from legislation funding the federal government

for the remainder of fiscal 2024 or any other must-pass

bills.

``It is Congress's responsibility to conduct the oversight

and recommend enhancements to solvency or cuts, and it should

be done in the open and not behind closed doors,'' the letter

states. ``We do not need a Commission to tell us what we must

do, we need the political courage to take up these or any

other proposals in regular order.''

Congress, for example, has yet to advance Rep. John

Larson's Social Security 2100 Act, which would modernize

Social Security, increase benefits, and safeguard the trust

fund--all without raising taxes on middle income Americans or

raising the retirement age. Congress still hasn't agreed on

full-year funding for federal agencies, which have been

operating under continuing resolutions since the fiscal year

began Oct. 1.

``With just a week before government funding runs out for

various departments including Veterans Affairs, Agriculture,

HUD, and Transportation, Congress should focus on passing

full-year funding for these and other government programs

instead of trying to pawn off its tough decisions to an

exclusive commission,'' Kelley said.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is vitally important that Members understand what is being proposed and how it totally relies on no Member of this body other than the select few, Mr. Speaker, who will be chosen.

The commission is comprised of 16 individuals, 4 who are outside experts and not part of this body. The Senate will have six Members that they choose, three Republicans, three Democrats; the House three Democrats, three Republicans.

In a body of 435 people here, 3 Democrats and 3 Republicans will decide the future and fate of Social Security and Medicare. It is interesting. They will do so behind closed doors, with no obligation to report in public. Interestingly enough, too, the bill calls for them to form the committee, but they don't have to report back until after the election during a lameduck session.

Imagine that, Mr. Speaker. The committees of cognizance here that deal with these issues will have no relevance.

The only thing that will matter is an up-or-down vote decided by these individuals behind closed doors that is unamendable and comes to this floor for an up-or-down vote. This is outrageous, and it is wrong.

There are several remedies and proposals that exist out there for Social Security. This is what is so vitally important.

Close to 70 million Americans depend on Social Security, and Social Security doesn't create one penny of debt. It is a program that is fully paid for that cannot be borrowed from and has to be actuarially sound. Yet it is thrown in here by a desire by some to use a clandestine, subterranean, double-secret probation committee to cut benefits from Americans.

Adding insult to injury, the last time Congress enhanced the benefits for Social Security, Richard Nixon was President. That is more than 53 years ago now that Congress took some action to enhance benefits for people.

Mr. Speaker, 10,000 baby boomers per day become eligible for Social Security. More than 5 million of our fellow Americans get below- poverty-level checks, having worked all their lives and paid into the system.

What we need is a vote on Social Security. Put both measures side by each: a proposal to do a double-secret probation study committee versus actual legislation to improve and enhance Social Security for the more than 70 million Americans who will be participating.

Every single Member of Congress has Social Security recipients. We have sent you the exact number for your district. Imagine not having any increases in more than 53 years, for 40 percent of all Americans. In a Nation of more than 300 million people, for minimally 28 million Americans, this is the only thing they have for retirement. As everyone in this body knows, it is not just simply retirement. It is also spousal and dependent coverage. For military veterans especially, it is also for disability. This body has not done anything, nor the Senate, in 53 years.

All this study is, is kicking the can down the road and creating further problems. Oppose this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I join in commending our colleagues, Mr. Blumenauer and Mr. Wenstrup, for their outstanding work on H.R. 3667, the Social Security Child Protection Act.

I especially acknowledge Mr. Blumenauer, who is going to be leaving the Congress, for his longstanding work in this area.

Currently, Social Security Administration policy says that in order to get a new Social Security number, the person has to show both that their number has been misused by a third party and that this misuse has resulted in harm to the number holder.

Unfortunately, we have heard from parents about their child's Social Security cards being stolen in the mail when they are first issued. From there, criminals are able to hold on to that number and use it for nefarious purposes.

Unfortunately, children who never receive their Social Security card in the mail may not realize for many years that their identity has been stolen. That is why this legislation is so critical and important.

I commend the members of the majority for bringing this forward. It is rare that we bring forward Social Security legislation, noting that Social Security is the number one antipoverty program in the country, the number one antipoverty program for the elderly, and the number one antipoverty program for children.

It also might surprise listeners who are tuning in to know that it has been 52 years since the Congress has taken any action to enhance Social Security benefits.

This is deemed a huge step forward to focus on a policy that is much needed, but more than 5 million of our fellow Americans get below poverty level checks from Social Security.

Mr. Speaker, 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security, and Congress hasn't even taken a vote.

It is not a lot to ask of Congress, and I hope that our distinguished colleagues--and I know many of them care deeply about this issue-- somehow find the resolve to vote on enhancing Social Security benefits. It will go well with this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Wenstrup and Mr. Blumenauer for their incredible work in this area. This bill deserves to be on the Consent Calendar. That is how important and straightforward it is.

Let us hope that our colleagues in the Senate see it in the same light and that we get something important accomplished.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, I cannot leave this floor as the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Social Security and not mention the fact that it has been 53 years since Congress has voted on anything to enhance Social Security.

That is a disgrace for both sides, Democrats and Republicans. It is a disgrace. Let's call it what it is.

Mr. Speaker, 5 million of our fellow Americans get below poverty level checks in the wealthiest Nation in the world, where billionaires stopped paying into Social Security on January 2.

Come on. In the wealthiest Nation in the world, how about we make sure that for 23 million Americans, they get a tax break?

We are willing to give corporations tax breaks left and right. How about the average working person who has paid into a system all of their lives, yet they get taxed on that? Where is the interest from my colleagues on the other side with respect to that?

Mr. Speaker, 23 million Americans who deserve a tax break can't get it, though we have a bill that is in front of them that would also recognize the teachers, firefighters, and police officers, who everyone professes to be in favor of until it comes time for them to get paid.

As our colleagues on the other side know, WEP and GPO prevent that from happening. We repealed that and made sure that these individuals get those needed benefits.

In this time of great disparity, global inflation, coming through a pandemic, and when economists have recognized the inequitable imbalance of wealth, what better way to bring balance than providing the decency of Congress just merely taking a vote?

If you disagree with it, if you have a better idea, for God's sake, put it forward, but please don't tell us about this commission behind closed doors where a select group of people without public hearings are going to determine what Social Security will be.

Social Security doesn't need a commission. It doesn't need to go behind closed doors. It needs a vote. Just like the vote we are giving to this commonsense proposal today, a vote on Social Security represents pure common sense because it assists over 70 million of your fellow Americans.

This is not Democratic or Republican. This is about your brothers, your sisters, your family, your aunts, your uncles, the people you worship and go to church with, and the people in your communities.

Speaking of communities, every community benefits. This is an enormous economic development plan because the money goes directly to the individual.

Where do those individuals spend that Social Security money? Right back in your districts. Right back in the district that these individuals live in.

It helps out the local pharmacists. It helps out the local grocery store. It helps out individuals.

This is something that should be embraced by both sides. Ironically, in the past when Social Security has been enhanced--it happened under Dwight David Eisenhower and under Mr. Nixon, as well. Since Richard Nixon was President of the United States, Social Security has not been enhanced.

Here we are, coming out of a global pandemic, coming out of global inflation, and the very individuals who need our help the most--our seniors--we won't even give them a vote.

Mr. Speaker, this is the United States Congress. We come here and represent the people of our districts. This is a benefit they not only richly need but they deserve. It is something they have earned.

This is not an entitlement, as some profess. This is an earned benefit.

Yes, for all you viewers at home, all you have to do is look at your pay stub. It says FICA, Federal Insurance Contribution Act. The Federal insurance is Social Security; the contribution is yours.

Yes, the employer also gives, but he gets a tax break for that, completely able to write it off.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Blumenauer and Mr. Wenstrup for allowing me the opportunity to come here this afternoon to address their bill but also for providing an opportunity as well because I don't think we are going to see many more coming where we will actually get to vote on Social Security benefits and enhancements for the people who we are sworn to serve.

Mr. Speaker, again, 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security. It has been 53 years since we last enhanced the program. More than 5 million get below poverty level checks, having paid in all their lives, and 23 million Americans are being denied a tax cut that they would otherwise receive.

Teachers and firefighters, et cetera, would see the repeal of WEP and GPO, and we can't get a vote in the Ways and Means Committee or on the floor of the Congress on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, it is a disgrace. Make no mistake, both parties share the blame, but there is no excuse for not taking a vote and putting this before the American people so they can fully appreciate it. They understand the need. They feel it every day because of the situation that they find themselves in because Congress has failed to act and failed to vote.

The fundamental thing that we are sent here to do is represent people and vote; not to vote on the most basic of issues, the Nation's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the number one antipoverty program for the children. We have failed.

Yes, and it is paid for. It is paid for by those very billionaires who stopped paying in on January 2 to Social Security.

The guy making $35,000 to $50,000, Mr. Speaker, is paying in the whole time. The guy making $100,000 to $150,000 is paying in the whole time. Those other guys aren't.

Most people don't realize that there is a cap, and they are exempt from paying. How about we lift that cap, and they pay their fair share? How about we extend the benefits of Social Security that haven't been done in 53 years? Our fellow Americans who have paid in will get pulled up out of poverty, and future generations will know that it is there and secure for them, as it was for their parents and grandparents.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we are here this afternoon to discuss America's number one antipoverty program for the elderly and the number one antipoverty program for children. It is Social Security.

I commend my colleague from the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Moore, for his work on the committee, but here is the issue, Mr. Speaker: This Congress that we are all a part of has not enhanced Social Security now going on 53 years. 1971 was the last time the United States Congress, which has the responsibility, enhanced Social Security for any of its recipients. Mr. Speaker, 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security, and since 1971, Congress has not taken any action.

I am joined by my colleagues today as we come to this floor and beseech our fellow colleagues to do one simple thing: Vote. That is our responsibility.

We have a very specific plan that we have put forward. There is also this other plan that is out there, some sort of debt commission that is going to go behind closed doors and decide what they will cut with respect to Social Security.

The American public overwhelmingly--Democrat, Republican, and Independents--all say we do not need cuts to the very essential programs that we rely on as a country. For more than 40 percent, Mr. Speaker, of all Americans, Social Security is the only pension that they have, and Congress hasn't acted in more than 53 years.

We need to enhance the program. We need to enhance it in a way that makes sure that everyone gets an across-the-board increase, especially for 5 million of our fellow Americans, mostly women, who get below- poverty-level checks from the government of the wealthiest nation in the world because Congress has not taken the time or the effort.

Who are these people? They are your brothers, your sisters, your aunts, your uncles, your neighbors, the people you go to church with.

Where does this money go? Right back into every single Member's district.

Mr. Moore of Utah has 110,000 Social Security recipients in his district. Every single Member of Congress is getting a card that tells them how many recipients they have in their district, what they receive, whether they are dependents, spouses, or disabled.

That is what we are focused on. We want a vote, Mr. Speaker, because the American people demand it. That is why I am joined here for this Special Order hour on this floor by so many of our colleagues. There are so many of us that we hope everyone will recognize their time and have consideration for their colleagues, but I will also point out the more than 350 groups across the Nation that support the Social Security 2100 Act, including the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Social Security Works, the NAACP, the AFL-CIO, Paralyzed Veterans of America, the National Education Association, and I could go on. Instead, I am going to yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), a leader on the Subcommittee on Social Security.

Mr. Speaker, there is no person on the committee who has fought harder for the repeal of WEP and GPO and who understands the significance and impact that Social Security has on so many of her constituents and constituents all across this country than Ms. Sanchez.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez).

Mr. Speaker, I again want to point out that both Ms. Sanchez and Ms. Moore, who will be speaking next, understand completely that Social Security is an earned benefit. It is often referred to on the other side as an entitlement. It is hardly an entitlement. Every American knows when they look at their paycheck that it says FICA. That stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act. Whose? Yours.

Gwen Moore understands that, and that is why she has been fighting on this committee to make sure that we not only extend the solvency, but we enhance the benefits.

Imagine this, Richard Nixon was President of the United States the last time Congress enhanced any benefits to Social Security. Do you think things have changed a little bit over those years?

Every single member of the public ought to be outraged by this. It is not anything the President can do with executive order. It is not anything that is going to happen through the judiciary. It is only through the United States Congress.

What are we asking of the Congress? We are asking them to vote.

That is what Gwen Moore does every week on the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Moore.

The gentleman from Pennsylvania has done just an incredible job on the Ways and Means Committee, again advocating on a regular basis, especially for the more than 5 million fellow Americans who get below- poverty-level checks from Social Security. We are not here just to extend the solvency of Social Security. We have a plan that the President of the United States supports, that is fully paid for. It is paid for by having people--are you ready for this?--who are making over $400,000--that is about six-tenths of 1 percent of the American people. Raise your hand in the gallery if you are making more than $400,000.

By doing just that, we will both extend the solvency and enhance the program that is fully paid for and make sure the trust fund stays intact. That is what the gentleman from Pennsylvania fights for.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans).

I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania. I, again, thank the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Social Security Works, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the NAACP, the AFL-CIO, and AARP, which came out most recently condemning the so-called commission that is coming down the pike.

Every American should be aware of this. When they are talking about a debt commission, what they are talking about is cutting Social Security, a commission that goes behind closed doors and without public hearings decides what is going to be the future of Social Security.

Americans--Democrats, Republicans, and Independents--support Social Security and enhancing it. Nobody knows that better than Steve Horsford, who represents more than 150,000 Social Security recipients in his home State of Nevada.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nevada. When he spoke, I was reminded of John Lewis, our fellow colleague on the Ways and Means Committee, who said that, in fact, Social Security is the civil rights movement.

I yield to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan), someone who understands, with the birthday of Martin Luther King coming up this Monday, our celebration of that, and one of our leaders who truly understands the fierce urgency of now and what it means to have to pass Social Security for the constituents that we represent who need it the most.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Massachusetts.

I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney). Together, we have gone across the State of Connecticut as we have talked about Social Security and its importance and significance.

Nobody understands it better, especially its impact on teachers and firefighters and police officers and municipal workers who have long been prevented through WEP and GPO. Under this bill, that all changes because of his efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut.

I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the female dean of the United States Congress, who has more than 143,000 Social Security recipients in her district and has been a tireless fighter for Social Security before I even came to the United States Congress. We applaud her efforts.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Mr. Speaker, we have 20 minutes remaining, and we have about 12 people who are sitting here, so I hope our colleagues are mindful of that.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), who has more than 98,000 Social Security recipients in her district who receive more than $143 million monthly in that district, as we indicated just how vitally important Social Security is as an economic development plan as well.

I thank the gentlewoman for her continued input and support over the last several decades.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright), who has been key as an original cosponsor of the Social Security 2100 Act and also for his passion about the people in his district who are in such need of Social Security to make sure that it is there today, tomorrow, and in the future.

Sure.

That is correct.

I thank the gentleman for his remarks, and I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lieu).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Norcross).

Mr. Speaker, for 40 percent of all Americans on Social Security the only benefit that they receive is Social Security, and that is why the gentleman's point is so well taken.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild).

Mr. Chair, first I would appeal to your great instincts and patience and thank you for this hour, but we actually have colleagues, at least four, that are here. Over 30 showed up.

Would it be possible to yield them a minute apiece?

I would make a motion to extend the time period to provide our colleagues a minute apiece.

Yes.

Mr. Speaker, I move for a 1-minute speech from the remaining four Members.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 5 o'clock and 27 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the mayor of Windsor, Connecticut, Don Trinks, a dear friend and person who served in the capacity of mayor for 22 years, and a public servant in Windsor for nearly three decades, as well.

He is a lifelong resident in what he would claim is the oldest community in the State of Connecticut, the town of Windsor. It may be disputed by some in Wethersfield, but that is what Don would claim, and that is where he met his wife, Barbara, in high school. They went on to get married, and he went on along with Barbara to be the go-to people in the community of Windsor.

Now, he also happens to run and manage, and probably is well known for running Bart's, which is second only to Augie & Ray's in East Hartford as the greatest hot dog you can receive in the State of Connecticut.

Madam Speaker, Don's commitment to the community of Windsor is unsurpassed. In political office, Don always sought to bring people together. He has the right temperament for public service and the ability to bring people together, as he did time and again, and why he was so successful at getting more than $3 million to revitalize downtown Windsor.

I was always happy to work alongside of him. It has been his leadership throughout his career, his temerity, especially during difficult times and especially during COVID, where he was one of those chief elected officials who led by example, especially for small businesses, of which he was very much one of them. He was also a devoted fan of Social Security, and we had an opportunity to work on that and visit many senior centers.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to submit for the Record a tribute to Don Trinks, the mayor of Windsor for 22 years.

I commend Congresswoman Julia Letlow who came before the Committee on Ways and Means last week to discuss her concerns about WEP and GPO and Social Security. I look forward to working with her. I think there is an opportunity here, Madam Speaker, to recognize with more than 10,000 baby boomers a day becoming eligible for Social Security, with almost 70 million people who are currently receiving Social Security, and with more than 40 percent of them Social Security being their only form of retirement and pension, it is long overdue for the United States Congress to act.

It has been 52 years since Congress has enhanced Social Security. Madam Speaker, more than 5 million of our fellow Americans get below- poverty level checks from the government, and, of them, the majority are women, because they were the care providers and were at home with their children or caring for someone that was sick, and also because when they were in the workforce they weren't making as much as their male counterparts.

There is no rational reason why these people in the wealthiest Nation in the world, who have worked all their lives

and paid into the system, gets below-poverty level checks, except for the fact that the United States Congress hasn't taken any action to correct this. It is long overdue.

With people like Julia coming in, Mr. Speaker, I know that there is a great opportunity for us to come together and succeed and make sure that all Americans know that Social Security is there for them.

This is not the time to talk about cutting their benefits. This is the time to talk about extending their benefits.

Yes, it is true that people are living longer, but for every year you raise the age of Social Security, that is a 7 percent cut. What sense does it make if you are living longer that you receive less Social Security money to live on? Of course, it does not.

Madam Speaker, I rise this morning to welcome everyone back to Congress, where hopefully we will get something done.

There was an ominous note sent by the Speaker earlier in a press conference that there will be an impeachment proceeding, an inquiry. I don't think that is what the American people are ready for back home.

They also said that they are here to shut down government. We need to shut down government? What the American people need is what everyone gave speeches about yesterday, talking about how after September 11 we all came together as a country and focused on what needs to be done.

I have a great suggestion for you. How about we fix Social Security for the Americans that need it. We talk to the veterans and we talk to all the individuals who were first responders and tell them how much we appreciate what they do, but then we never vote that way in Congress.

It has been 52 years since Congress has done anything to enhance Social Security. It has been 52 years and no action. How about we do something unique in this body and get a vote on Social Security.

Every Member has a Social Security card. You know exactly how many of your constituents receive a Social Security check, something that is an earned benefit, something that they have paid for and worked all their lives.

Yet, we are content here in this body to let 5 million fellow Americans in all your districts, 5 million Americans get a below- poverty level check from the Federal Government when what they need is subsistence to survive.

How about we get together as a body and come together and enhance the greatest insurance program in the Nation's history, the number one anti-poverty program for the elderly, and the number one anti-poverty for children. There are 10,000 baby boomers a day--if you are out there, baby boomers, call your Members and ask them to take a vote on Social Security.

Look at your pay stub. It says FICA, Federal Insurance Contributions. Whose? Yours. And this Congress hasn't done anything for 52 years. It is long overdue. Think of this as an economic development. If you think this is socialism, think about all the constituents in your district that are going to get a paycheck. Think about the economic activity. Where do they spend that money? Right back in your district.

They need your help. The Nation needs your help. We need to come together and unite and enhance Social Security, not just protect it, not cut it, as some have suggested, but to actually protect and expand the Nation's number one program that helps the elderly and helps our children of this great country of ours.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, but first, before I begin, I want to associate myself with the remarks of Reverend Green. It is always great to be in the presence of someone who has performed so extraordinarily well and is indeed a great American. I congratulate, Joyce.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the 88th birthday of Social Security, which will take place on August 14. We are calling upon Members all across this Nation joined by great groups like the National Committee to Preserve and Protect Social Security, Social Security Works, the AFL-CIO, and the list goes on, to please save the date as a date of action. It is a date of action because Congress hasn't taken any action.

It might interest people in the gallery to know that Congress hasn't done anything to enhance Social Security in more than 52 years.

We found ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, a pandemic that in this country has impacted people over the age of 65 more severely than any other group. Slightly over a million people have perished. Over 856,000 were over the age of 65.

Those same individuals are the ones that because of global inflation have found themselves in the situation, as people on fixed incomes often do, where they are most severely hurt.

As Reverend King would say, ``the fierce urgency of now'' is upon the United States Congress.

What are we asking the United States Congress to do?

Vote.

How hard is that?

Whether it is in the United States Senate or whether it is in the House of Representatives, everybody claims how much they respect and love and admire Social Security. If that is true, then why don't we vote on it?

It hasn't been enhanced in 52 years. The last time something was done was in 1983. Ronald Reagan was President, Bob Dole ran the United States Senate, and Tip O'Neill was Speaker of the House. They extended Social Security at that time, its solvency, but they didn't do anything to enhance the program.

I dare say that things have changed a lot since Richard Nixon was President in terms of the cost of procuring goods and services in this country, and yet we have not done anything as a Congress to enhance the benefit of the more than 66 million people who are on Social Security. That number will exceed 70 million within a year and a half. Mr. Speaker, that is 70 million of our fellow Americans.

Here is the real deal: 5 million of them get below-poverty level checks from the government. After having worked all their lives, paid into a system to get an earned benefit, they find themselves getting a below-poverty level check because the United States Congress has not acted on their behalf.

Mr. Speaker, 23 million of our fellow Americans get taxed on their work in their job for what they are doing, and they shouldn't be. That tax should be eliminated. There needs to be an across-the-board increase for all Social Security recipients.

That is why we call attention to this day of action.

The day of action that is needed most, though, is by the United States Congress and for us to act in a bipartisan manner across the board and make sure that the people are getting the benefits that they have richly earned.

Mr. Speaker, 10,000 baby boomers a day become eligible for Social Security, and still Congress does not act. America needs to rise up and prevail upon their Members of Congress to act, and by act, I mean vote--vote to bring Social Security 2100 to the floor for a vote and vote in the Senate to bring those bills forward.

Mr. Speaker, if you have a better idea, if you have a better plan, then lay it out there for the public to see, but for God's sake, vote on it for the sake of the American people.

The American people deserve more from their Congress than lip service. They need action.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my colleagues. I was fortunate to hear the ``deaness'' of our delegation speak earlier.

I am not very good at farewells or good-byes. I am far better at hellos. We could never say goodbye to such an engaging, compassionate and caring individual, which is reflected in the legislation that he has put forward, reflected in the way that he has represented the people of Rhode Island, how he has engaged himself on this floor with individual Members, what he has done time and again, leading with his heart, but using that great brain power and strategy to get things done on behalf of people.

I know it has been mentioned about our beloved colleague, John Lewis, and staging that sit-in here on the floor, but I believe that that is something that everyone who was serving here at the time will never forget.

Again, it was his leadership, it was his compassion, and it was his heart. He is a man amongst men who demonstrates that daily.

I love and respect him. I will miss him but not for long, because we will always be together. By now, I think just about the whole Congress is headed to Rhode Island for a drink at Clem's.

I thank him so much for his service. I thank him so much for his commitment to the people of Rhode Island. The country is better off because David Cicilline has served and represented the people of Rhode Island here in the people's Chamber.

General Leave