Republican Radio Address - Representative Paul Ryan
As you'd expect in a budget that big, there are going to be disagreements between the President and the Congress. But let me start out with something we all agree on. A major priority for this President and for this Congress is the need to save Social Security for present and future generations.
Social Security is a promise we've kept for almost 65 years. It is a promise we plan on keeping for decades to come.
A lot of Americans I've talked to are worried about Social Security. And there is a great deal of discussion as to the future of this important program. Several initiatives have been proposed by both the President and Members of Congress.
I've talked to thousands of seniors in Wisconsin who are worried that any reforms would ultimately end up costing them something. We know that would not be fair.
My parents and other seniors paid social security taxes for 30, 40 years or even longer. And we in Congress are absolutely committed that, no matter what other reforms need to be made to make the program solvent in the future, there will be no change in benefits to current or soon-to-be-retirees.
That's why I'm introducing legislation on Monday, the Social Security Guarantee Initiative, a bill that guarantees current benefits to all Social Security recipients.
The House Leadership has pledged to move swiftly on this important measure in the next few weeks, because we want Americans of all ages to know exactly where we stand. And more importantly, where you stand.
While we must improve the system for working Americans, the benefits today's seniors have come to count on cannot and will not be changed in any way.
I am confident this Congress will get the job done. It is too important to allow politics to cloud the issues. We have already started the serious work, and as we examine the President's Social Security proposal, we are committed to prevent any Social Security payroll taxes from being used to fund other Federal government programs.
I believe the Social Security Trust Fund should work as a retirement program for seniors, not as a slush fund for politicians.
The President also raised the idea of investing more retirement money in the stock market. The problem is, the President wants a Washington-based government board to decide which stocks to buy and which companies the government might take a share in.
A far better idea would be to allow individuals and families to make those decisions. You see, a government board - run by politicians from either party - can't help but be influenced by politics. And that's not right. Your retirement is too important to let politics get in the way.
I believe this is an issue we can work out to everyone's satisfaction. Why am I so optimistic? When this Congress set its mind to reforming welfare to reward work, we got it done. The President vetoed it twice, and still we tried again, and finally persuaded him to come on board. And today, the nation is enjoying that success, as millions of Americans have moved from welfare to work.
In four years, Congress managed to balance the budget, cut taxes, and reform welfare. Now, for the first time in a generation we have a surplus. We believe your surplus payroll taxes should go solely towards fixing Social Security.
And when you overpay all other taxes, you should get your money back. Better yet, we believe you should be able to keep more of your paycheck instead having Washington spend it for you.
I am fully convinced that this Congress will rise above partisanship to save Social Security, provide across the board tax relief to all working Americans, and restore some commonsense to governing.
The economy is booming, interest rates are down, and government revenues are greater than expenditures. We have an historic opportunity to preserve the nation's Social Security program, provide real tax relief, and address a host of other important issues as we head into the new millennium.
Stay tuned and stay involved. Your input is invaluable as we debate these historic issues. I'm Paul Ryan, thank you for listening. Enjoy your weekend.