Social Security

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Larson for his tireless leadership and work to safeguard Social Security for the benefit of this generation of retirees and those that are to come. He has worked hard for decades to try to bring this bill to the floor.

I thank Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Richard Neal, and Congressman John Larson, chair of the subcommittee, for giving us the opportunity to bring to the American people what they want, and that is a strengthened retirement system under Social Security.

For nearly a century, America has made a sacred promise: Those who work and labor throughout their lives will benefit by a retirement from the fruits of their labor. It is an earned benefit for pension. It is an insurance program that they pay into, as the gentleman has said.

It is also a survivorship benefit for workers who die who have young children. It is a disability program for those who are harmed on the job.

Social Security is an earned benefit. Yeah, it is a promise, but people earn it. It assures a safe and secure retirement for tens of millions upon millions of Americans during their golden years, to those who become disabled, and, of course, their family, their children, in fact, if something unfortunate happens.

But without the action of Chairman Larson, the Social Security promise is deeply at risk. Democrats want to strengthen Social Security. Republicans want to end it and cripple it.

With this legislation, soon to be moving through the House Ways and Means Committee, one of the most important bills that will ever come before this Chamber, Democrats will push for a vote on the floor as soon as possible.

I hear from thousands of northern Ohioans and people across our great State who want to see a responsible solution to protect and improve Social Security.

The wealthy must join with the vast majority of Americans in paying their fair share of social insurance at a percentage that equals what other people pay to secure Social Security into the future.

By making that happen, the Social Security 2100 Act will increase benefits for current and new beneficiaries. It will protect retirees against inflation, which the gentleman has mentioned. It will continue to serve the disabled and the young children of workers who die at a far too young age, and it will repeal the windfall elimination provision that we have been trying to fix for how many decades? I think at least four.

The Social Security 2100 Act is one of the most important bills Congress will ever vote on. What a privilege it will be to be able to cast a ``yes'' vote.

America made a promise to workers and to retirees and families, and Democrats are committed to making good on that promise. This is a Democratic program, and we are going to save it as Democrats and improve it.

Thank you, Chairman Larson.

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