Bill Cassidy

Mr. President, Anecdote · 12 wordsI just told my colleague from Illinois: It has been a ride.Anecdote Claims · 96 wordsWe have been trying to set up a process, a process whereby Congress would consider a solution--not prescribe a solution, consider a solution--for Social Security, a process that would have Members of the House and Members of the Senate come together fully open for input from stakeholders, from citizens, to have something to present among all the proposals that are out there--two proposals, three proposals--and whatever we put up would not be the final solution necessarily. It could be replaced by any other Member of the Senate with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Positioning · 8 wordsAnd people won’t even set up a process.Positioning Claims · 53 wordsWe are not talking about a solution. We are talking about a process that would come to a solution maybe that still has to get 60 votes in the U.S. Senate. Folks say: We need more time. Dick Durbin just chuckled. He goes: They have had 44 years. They have had 44 years. Positioning · 7 wordsHow much more time do they need?PositioningOff point Procedure · 11 wordsI have got a couple cartoons just to make the case.Procedure Reasoning · 18 wordsI think that if we don’t set up this process, Congress will be kicking granny off the cliff.Off point Claims · 6 wordsThat was made famous long ago. Aside · 3 wordsThere it is.Aside Claims · 24 wordsShe earned it; she deserves it; she counts on it; and Congress will not set up a process by which to address the issue.Off point Mr. President, Claims · 85 words75 million retirees, widows, widowers, others rely on Social.¹ In 6 years, the program, the trust fund--the trust fund goes insolvent.² And when that happens, according to the actuaries, there will be either an almost 29 percent benefit reduction or a 40 percent increase in payroll taxes on working Americans.³ If that trust fund goes insolvent and that benefit is cut 28.5 percent, as the actuaries say it will, the rate of poverty among Americans over age 65 will increase by 50 percent--by 50 percent.⁴Off point Anecdote · 5 wordsSo here is another cartoon.Anecdote Claims · 4 wordsCongress made a promise, Positioning · 7 wordsand some people want to ignore it.Positioning Claims · 10 wordsShe paid in; she earned it; she relies on it. Positioning · 56 wordsBut if you ask: Should we do something about Social? Apparently, for some people, the time to do something on Social is never. Don’t disturb Congress. They don’t want to take a tough vote--even if that vote only sets up a process--it doesn’t even propose a solution--a process whereby Congress is required to fix the issue.Positioning Claims · 19 wordsBy the way, Social has always been important. It is even more important now that Americans are living longer. Reasoning · 39 wordsAnd every year we delay fixing Social, the amount of cuts required to balance it increase or the amount of taxes required to fix it increases or the amount of money we have to borrow to fix it increases. Positioning · 15 wordsThere is no good thing about waiting except it allows Congress to dodge its responsibility.Positioning Thanks · 8 wordsI want to compliment my colleague from Illinois.Thanks Anecdote · 34 wordsHe came up to me and he goes: Bill, I am leaving the Senate. We need to make a run at fixing Social. I am leaving the Senate. We need to make a run.Anecdote Claims · 35 wordsBy the way, we have a solution, but we are not saying it has to be our solution. All we are trying to do is set up a process by which solutions can be considered. Positioning · 18 wordsAnd running out the clock, it may be politically convenient, but it is the wrong thing to do.Positioning Reasoning · 23 wordsCongress’ obligation to the American people, to the people that rely upon Social Security, is to act, and it is to act now.Off point Anecdote · 10 wordsI have another cartoon here just to make the point.Anecdote Claims · 11 wordsIt is not just older people affected; it is younger people. Aside · 3 wordsSorry, young folks.Aside Claims · 69 wordsYou are getting left behind because some say it is not our problem. The Social Security system is going insolvent, and these folks can pay into it. They will never receive a benefit. These young pages here, they don’t recognize it yet, but they are contributing every month on the wages they are getting to a system that will not be there for them unless we do something now. Procedure · 13 wordsSo before I defer to my colleague, I will just say once more: ProcedureClaims · 38 wordsAll we are doing is setting up a process to propose solutions that may or may not pass, that any Senator can bring their own bill and have it as an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Reasoning · 10 wordsIt is up to Congress, though, to find a solution. Positioning · 44 wordsNow, history will decide whether Congress took up the responsibility of addressing the issue or whether because it was politically advantageous, politically expedient to kick the can down the road once more, even though the road is about to end in a dead end, PositioningAside · 40 wordsor, in the case of one of our cartoons, a cliff.Off point Here. We built a bridge and decided not to finish it.Off point Here. The folks that need to get across the bridge of Social Security will get to it someday.Aside The ask · 8 wordsWe have got to get to it now. Procedure · 4 wordsThat is the point.Procedure The ask · 8 wordsLet’s set up a process to be considered. Claims · 21 wordsWe are talking about the PROMISE Act, which is a Dick Durbin--lead author--Bill Cassidy bill.⁵ And there may be another way, The ask · 6 wordsbut let’s set up the process.Off point Procedure · 7 wordsWith that, I defer to my colleague.Procedure