Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. today the Senate is considering the question of whether to take the social security minimum payment away from retired Americans through the budget process. The amendment before the Senate offered by the distinguished Senator from Michigan would not extend the minimum benefit to future social security retirees. but it would preserve the payment for current retirees. Three million Americans currently receive the minimum social security benefit. More than 500.000 Americans. age 80 or older. have been receiving the minimum payment for 15 years or longer. Failure to adopt the amendment being offered by the Senator from Michigan will send a chilling message to these people. We will be telling them that they are no longer entitled to the benefits promised them by the social security system when they made their retirement plans. We will be telling them that if they need assistance. they should apply for welfare. When Mr. Reagan accepted the Republican nomination for the Presidency. he told the American people: It is essential that the integrity of all aspects of social security be preserved. In his campaign. as the Republican nominee for the Presidency. he said: The integrity of the social security system will be defended by my administration and its benefits will once again be made meaningful. When the President came before the Congress to campaign for his budget cuts. he told us that no budget savings would be made by cutting social security retirement benefits. and that they would be preserved as part of the Nations safety net. The minimum payment was designed to provide an adequate monthly check for the neediest social security retirees. It was designed as a safety net under social securityto keep elderly Americans from living their retirement years in poverty. Eliminating the payment would plainly send some social security retirees falling through the Presidents safety net. The social security system is based on trust. confidence. and dependability. Without these essential qualities. the system loses its integrity. Taking away basic benefits from those who have already retired or are approaching retirement age destroys the systems integrity. It is cruel. and it is Inhumane. Last month. after the administration called on the Congress to immediately slash benefits for those men and women planning to retire at age 62the Senate unanimously went on record against such a plan. The principles at stake today are not very different from those argued last month. The issue is whether the Congress will act to unfairly and precipitously cut social security retirement benefits. We are talking about a smaller group of retirees today than we were talking about last month. but we are discussing what amounts to the same question. We are talking about the same systemso vital to the well being of the Nations elderlyand we are talking about the systems integrity and purpose. I reject the idea that has been proffered by the administration that the neediest social security retirees should be asked to abandon the system and turn to the welfare system. I support a balanced budget. But the Federal budget cannot be balanced on the backs of the Nations elderly.