Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. NEAL. Madam Speaker, the gentleman really gave away his argument in the opening sentence, when he said: You know the drill on the MTR.
Yes, we know the drill on MTRs, how they are being used to heap scorn on complicated arguments, the demagogue arguments that should be taken up in a separate space.
But you know what else this is about? For those of us who came through the wards and precincts of American politics, there is a difference in politics between being cute and being clever. This is cute. This is not clever.
So let me just bring to your attention the following:
We have before us today the most important and substantive advance in retirement savings in the last 15 years in America. Understanding today that the average Social Security benefit in America--``average,'' meaning that half the American people who receive the benefit are below $16,000. We have a chance to augment retirement savings and open up more opportunities for people to save for a retirement that we all know comes pretty quickly.
This has been well met in a bipartisan manner. It was marked up in the committee. And one Member said at the Rules Committee the other night: There is one sentence here, Mr. Chairman, over which we disagree.
Have we gotten to this point, in this institution, where now one sentence stops us from advancing good legislation? I certainly hope not.
There is another provision in this legislation, as we proceed to the Memorial Day recess, that ought to be critical in all of our minds. We fixed an egregious error in the tax bill. We have straightened out that issue, where families will not be taxed at the highest marginal rate of the parents, but, instead, we will recede to a previous provision that made sure that the survivors of those who were killed in military conflict would receive a benefit. That was important.
Let me just say to the new Members on our side: This is a safe provision. For years, I wore a bracelet for the refuseniks who wished from Russia to emigrate to Israel. There is no weakness on our part in support of the State of Israel on this side of the aisle.
You have a chance to stand up right now for retirement savings for those who have lost loved ones in military conflict, to stand up for Tribal interests, to stand up for those who receive scholarships, and to continue help for those families who are in financial distress because they lost a loved one in a military conflict.
Set aside the demagoguery, and turn down this motion to recommit.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source