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Guest Commentary March 27, 2002
Republicans Failing to Protect Social Security
The Honorable Maxine Waters
The disaster of September 11 demands that we focus on the needs of the many, many victims of that attack. However, life is going to be tougher not only for the victims of 9-11 but for most Americans because, as I review what we are doing right here in the Congress of the United States, I am disappointed with the budget resolution that the Republicans have voted out of committee.
This budget resolution is a $2.1 trillion resolution that claims to be able to fund an extended and expanded war and to also fund the domestic needs, the unemployment needs, the health needs, and the education needs of this country despite the fact that we have passed out a $1.7 trillion tax cut for the 2002 budget that benefits the wealthiest corporations and individuals in the country, and in addition to that, another $40 billion in tax cuts that was recently passed in the so-called economic stimulus legislation.
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Because of the policies of this administration, we have reduced our surplus by $4 trillion, and we are now faced with dipping into Social Security, $1.8 trillion over the next 10 years. Despite voting five times for the Social Security lock box, today we are breaking that promise and raiding Social Security.
It is indeed important that we address the needs of those who lost their jobs. However, what about the future? What about the retirement of Americans who expect Social Security benefits to be there for them when they retire? ...
The Republicans are breaking the promise of protecting Social Security. I mentioned that we have voted five times for the Social Security lock box. We cannot escape the fact that, yes, we can do some Bandaid and temporary protections. For those in New York and others where we extend unemployment benefits, we come up with some additional support for disaster unemployment assistance, but the fact of the matter is this: we are doing nothing to protect the future for these workers.
We are doing nothing to protect Social Security. Social Security is now at risk. It is at risk because this administration has done away and is doing away with the budget surplus that had been built up under the past administration; and because of that, whatever we do today is very temporary and these very same workers will be faced with a bleak future because we are dipping into Social Security.
Americans must be concerned about the fact that now our Social Security benefits for the future are at stake.
Maxine Waters, a Democrat, represents the 35th Congressional District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives. The above commentary has been adapted from a speech Rep. Waters delivered on the floor of the House, March 19, 2002. To contact her, Click Here.
The above column has been distributed by PoliticsOL.com.
