[Press Conference: “Social Security Celebrates 89th Birthday”]
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOCIAL SECURITY.
SOCIAL SECURITY IS 89 YEARS OLD TODAY.
IT STARTED WHEN FDR HAD THIS BRILLIANT IDEA.
NOW, A FEW PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS CRAZY, BUT WE KNEW HE HAD A GOOD HEART WITH ELEANOR BY HIS SITE, AND THEY DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR SENIORS TO GIVE THEM ECONOMIC SECURITY, WHICH SIMPLY, IT'S A BIG WORD FOR MAKING SURE YOU GOT MONEY IN YOUR POCKET.
SO THEY DECIDED TO DO THE TAXES ON YOUR WAGES, YOUR CHECK, AND THEN WE GIVE BACK TO YOU.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CELEBRATE NOT ONLY THIS 89TH BIRTHDAY, BUT THE 90TH, THE HUNDREDTH, THE 200TH, AND THAT THIS PROGRAM CONTINUES AND GROWS AND MEET ALL THE NEEDS OF OUR SENIORS.
AND REMEMBER, IT STARTED WITH SENIORS, AND THEN OF COURSE, IT'S GROWN.
WE KNOW YOU COULD GET SOME DISABILITY.
UH, THERE'S OTHER PROGRAMS. THEN WE ADDED MEDICARE, UH, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, WE REDUCE THE INSULIN PRICES, THEIR, UH, COST TO $35.
WE'RE WORKING ON OTHER DRUGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOWER THE PRICE ON.
THE SOCIAL SECURITY THAT HE STARTED BACK IN 35 IS A BIG DIFFERENT THAN IT IS TODAY.
BUT IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE JUST WANNA GIVE AWAY MONEY AND SPEND MONEY.
IT'S BECAUSE WE GOTTA TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE EARNED.
LIKE MANY OF Y'ALL HERE TODAY, MAYOR, I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
WE'VE GOT A GROUP OF SENIORS HERE WHO OF COURSE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING.
UH, NOT ONLY TO EXPAND THE PROGRAMS, UH, BUT TO PROTECT THEM, BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, THERE ARE SOME, THERE ARE STILL SOME PEOPLE.
THERE WAS IN 35 WHEN THEY DIDN'T LIKE FDR DOING THIS.
AND GUESS WHAT, 89 YEARS LATER, WE'VE GOT SOME OF THOSE SAME PEOPLE IN CONGRESS.
THEY THINK SOCIAL SECURITY IS, IS, UH, CAUSING OUR DEBT, AND THEY WANT TO ELIMINATE SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE.
SOME OF THEM WOULD WANNA PRIVATIZE IT, UH, AND GIVE IT A PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO RUN.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT, THAT WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE DOESN'T HAPPEN.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY AND WHAT A BIG HELP IT'S BEEN JUST MEMBERS OF MY OWN FAMILY.
WE WERE LAUGHING, WE ALL QUALIFY.
YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL, THE PROGRAM IS THERE WHEN PEOPLE ARE NEEDING IT BECAUSE IT'S STILL A NEED.
AND I REMEMBERED, UH, BACK IN 1973, I MET THIS GUY WE CALL MAYOR NOW,
AND YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED WHERE WE MET AT THE TEXAS WELFARE DEPARTMENT.
I WAS DOING CASEWORK, VISITING WITH SENIORS, SSI, YOU KNOW, SSI IS ANOTHER PROGRAM OF SOCIAL SECURITY CERTIFYING PEOPLE FOR FOOD STAMPS, HELPING WELFARE MOTHERS.
HE WAS NOT IN MY UNIT, BUT ANOTHER UNIT.
BUT I DID BUMP INTO HIM ONCE OR TWICE.
HE DOESN'T QUITE REMEMBER IT THE WAY I DO.
THEY REMEMBER THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
HIS WAS MOSTLY FOOD STAMP WORK TOO, KIND OF DOING THE SAME THING.
AND GUESS WHAT, HERE WE ARE DOING THE SAME THING BECAUSE WE'RE BOTH HERE TOGETHER WITH MY OTHER FRIEND, AL GREEN, WHO I'VE KNOWN SINCE HE WAS A JUDGE.
AND I WAS A JUDGE ALWAYS WORKING WITH THE NAACP, ALWAYS WORKING ON MAKING CHANGES TO PROTECT PEOPLE IN NEED.
AND WE GOT TO BE MINDFUL THAT ALL THESE THINGS EVOLVE.
WE'VE BEEN ALL BEEN AT IT FOR A WHILE, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CELEBRATE THIS BIRTHDAY AND MANY, MANY MORE.
SO WE'RE PLEASED THAT Y'ALL ARE HERE WITH US THIS MORNING.
UH, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE MORE THING, UH, THAT AS WE MOVE ALONG, WE KNOW THINGS ARE CHANGING.
THEY'RE USING MORE TECHNOLOGY AT SOCIAL SECURITY.
THEY'RE USING MORE EMAIL, THEY'RE USING MORE WEB-BASED, UH, SYSTEMS. AND NOT ALL OF US HAVE THE
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COMPUTER AND THE COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE TO HANDLE SOME OF THOSE SYSTEMS. BUT THAT'S WHY YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE THERE.UH, WITH ME, A CALL ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE IS A PRIORITY IN MY OFFICE, BECAUSE IN MY DISTRICT, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SENIORS AND MAYOR.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE A PEACE OF MIND TO OUR SENIORS THAT WE'RE CELEBRATING THIS BIRTHDAY AND THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE.
IN MY DISTRICT ALONE, WE HAVE MORE THAN 90,000 PEOPLE ON SOCIAL SECURITY.
MY JOB IS TO PROTECT IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PASS IT ON.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, TODAY, TOMORROW, AND EVERY DAY, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN IT'S THE YOUNG PERSON'S TURN TO GET SOCIAL SECURITY, THAT IT WILL STILL BE THERE.
THAT IT'LL STILL OFFER THE SAME BENEFITS, AND THAT IT CAN SURVIVE ANOTHER A HUNDRED YEARS.
SO THANK YOU MAYOR, UH, FOR HAVING US THIS MORNING.
AND JUST ONE SMALL, UH, FOOTNOTE OF HISTORY, UM, BECAUSE I SEE SO MANY LADIES IN THE ROOM.
YOU KNOW, THE FIRST PERSON TO GET A SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK, WAS IDA A FULLER IN 1940? LADIES, WE CONTINUE TO MAKE HISTORY.
SO LET'S ALL WORK TOGETHER TO PROTECT WHAT WE HAVE TO PASS IT ON TO THE FUTURE AND TO MAKE HISTORY TOGETHER.
WITH THAT, I'LL CLOSE AND INTRODUCE MY DEAR FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, ALL GREEN.
UH, CONGRESSWOMAN, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU AND A PLEASURE TO BE WITH ALL OF THESE TEENAGERS THAT I SEE HERE ON THE FRONT ROW.
UH, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A ROCK
WELL, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT FRIENDS, UM, I HAVE CELEBRATED MY 25TH BIRTHDAY FOR THE THIRD TIME.
AND, UM, I AM, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE, MY FOURTH 25TH.
IF YOU HAVE CELEBRATED YOUR 25TH YEAR FOR SOME NUMBER OF TIMES AND YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY, RAISE YOUR HAND PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, GIVE THEM A HAND, PLEASE.
I WANNA THANK THE, THE CONGRESSWOMAN BECAUSE, UH, SHE HAS DEMONSTRATED SINCE SHE HAS BEEN IN CONGRESS, HER DESIRE TO BE THERE FOR THOSE WHO AMONG THE LEAST, THE LAST AND THE LOST.
UH, SHE ALSO HELPS OTHERS, BUT SHE PUTS AN EMPHASIS ON PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED.
AND I THINK THAT SHE MERITS A SPECIAL EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED.
WOULD YOU JOIN ME IN DOING SO? PLEASE.
AND I ENJOY WORKING WITH HER, BY THE WAY, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE MAYOR.
AND, UH, MAYOR, I'M HONORED THAT, UH, YOU AND THE CONGRESSWOMAN WOULD ALLOW ME TO BE AN INTERLOPER TODAY AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS, UH, GREAT EVENT.
I'M ALSO HONORED TO, UH, DO THIS BECAUSE I'M THE NEWLY MINUTE DEAN OF THE HOUSTON CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
AND, UH, SOMEBODY SAID THAT IF THERE'S GONNA BE SOMETHING GOING ON, YOU OUGHT TO TRY TO BE THERE IF YOU CAN.
SO I PROMISE YOU I'M GOING TO DO ALL THAT I CAN TO MAKE AS MANY EVENTS AS I CAN.
I AM HONORED TO SAY THIS ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY.
UH, SOCIAL SECURITY IS MORE THAN AN ENTITLEMENT.
SENIORS BENEFIT FROM THEIR EARNED INVESTMENT, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT EARNED INVESTMENT IS AVAILABLE TO ALL SENIORS.
WE DON'T WANNA SEE THAT INVESTMENT DIMINISH.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT IS SOLVENT AND THAT IT IS SOLVENT INTO THE NEXT CENTURY.
UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I HAVE SUPPORTED A BILL BY THE HONORABLE JOHN JOHN LARSON, TO MAKE IT SOLVENT INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.
IT'S CALLED THE SOCIAL SOCIAL SECURITY ACT, 2100.
AND, UH, THIS IS A GREAT PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
IT WILL ASSURE US THAT WE WILL HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY NOT ONLY AS IT IS NOW, BUT ALSO IT WILL ADJUST THE FORMULA FOR PAYMENTS SUCH THAT IT WILL REFLECT THE REALITY OF INFLATION.
BECAUSE INFLATION CUTS INTO SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS.
AND A GOOD MANY PEOPLE HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY AS THEIR ONLY SOURCE OF INCOME.
THIS IS IT FOR THEM, AND THEY, THEY NEED IT.
UH, THEY HAVE TO HAVE IT, UH, IS LIFE SUSTAINING.
AND THE ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS COUNTRY IS THE WAY WE TREAT PEOPLE IN THE DAWN OF LIFE AND IN THE TWILIGHT OF LIFE.
UH, WHEN WE ARE AT A POINT WHERE WE NEED HELP, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT HELP IS THERE FOR YOU.
UH, SO INTERESTING TO NOTE THIS, THAT, UM, IF YOU ARE A MILLIONAIRE, YOU'RE MAKING A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, UH, WITH YOUR WAGES, YOU WILL PAY ALL OF THE $168,600 THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY INTO SOCIAL SECURITY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, UH, ON ALL OF THE WAGES, ALL
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OF THE 6.2% OF THE $168,600, UH, IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS.AND YOU'RE DONE WITH SOCIAL SECURITY.
IF YOU'RE MAKING A MILLION DOLLARS, $20 MILLION, $1 MILLION A YEAR, THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE FOR $20 MILLION PERSONS.
SO IF YOU'RE MAKING A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN TWO MONTHS, YOU WILL HAVE PAID ALL THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO PAY INTO SOCIAL SECURITY AT THE RATE OF 6.2% OF YOUR MONTHLY SALARY IF IT'S PRORATED OVER A 12 MONTH PERIOD.
NOW, THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOTE, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO WOULD CONTEND THAT WE SHOULD, UH, SIMPLY CUT SOCIAL SECURITY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'D BE DOING BY RAISING THE AGE FROM 67 TO 69.
JUST RAISE THE AGE THAT YOU'LL RECEIVE IT.
WELL, THAT WORKS WELL FOR SOME, BUT IT DOESN'T WORK WELL FOR OTHERS.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO NEED IT AT 65, UH, TO BE QUITE HONEST, EARLY AT 62 OR AT 62.
AND I WOULD EMPHASIZE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN, BECAUSE AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN IN THE MAINE HAVE THE SHORTEST LIFESPAN.
UM, THEY, THEY LIVE ABOUT, OH, ABOUT 70 YEARS.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD LIFESPAN.
BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WHO LIVE, HAVE A LIFESPAN OF ABOUT 80 YEARS.
SO IF YOU RAISE THE RETIREMENT AGE TO 69, A GOOD MANY AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES WILL BECOME DONORS TO THE SYSTEM.
THEY WON'T GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF THE BENEFITS.
I SAY, LET'S LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS UNLESS IMPROVE IT AS IT IS AND MAKE IT BETTER.
I ALSO SAY ONE OR TWO ADDITIONAL THINGS, IF I MAY, AND I'LL BE QUICKLY, UH, WITH THIS, UH, BEERS AND ONIC.
I WAS, I TRIED TO GET THE MAYOR TO SPEAK AHEAD OF ME, BUT HE WAS, HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME GO FIRST.
AND I DON'T WANT TO ENCROACH UPON HIS TIME BECAUSE I KNOW HE HAS SOME THINGS THAT HE HAS TO DO.
MY ADRIAN GARCIA IS GOING NEXT.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT HE WAS HERE.
WHERE? OH, OKAY, COMMISSIONER, GOOD TO KNOW YOU'RE HERE.
WELL, LOOK, I HAVE TO ASK, LET'S GIVE OUR COMMISSIONER A HAND PLEASE FOR BEING HERE WITH US, ADRIAN GARCIA.
UM, FRIENDS, WE OWE IT TO MAYBE OURSELVES, BUT TO THOSE PERSONS WHO ARE BENEFITING FROM SOCIAL SECURITY AND FOR THE SOCIAL FABRIC AND FOUNDATION OF OUR COUNTRY TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL SECURITY, THERE ARE MANY OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE TWILIGHT OF LIFE DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF SOCIAL SECURITY.
THEY'RE LEFT OFFEND FOR THEMSELVES IF THEY DON'T HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO CAN TAKE CARE OF THEM.
WELL, IN THIS COUNTRY, WE BELIEVE THAT THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED HARD, PAID INTO THE SYSTEM, THAT THEY OUGHT TO BENEFIT FROM THE SYSTEM, AND THAT THE SYSTEM OUGHT TO BE IMPROVED, UH, SUCH THAT WE CAN MAKE IT SOLVENT INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.
I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU, AND THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND NOW ANOTHER GREAT PARTNER WITH SENIORS.
AND I KNOW THAT EVERY TIME WE NEED SOMETHING, UM, FOR OUR SENIORS, WE CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON COMMISSIONER GARCIA TO GIVE US A HAND.
UM, I DON'T THINK HE'S SOCIAL SECURITY AGE YET.
UH, BUT OUR JOB IS ALWAYS PUTTING PEOPLE OVER POLITICS AND PROTECTING OUR SENIORS OVER, OVER, UH, BIG COMPANIES.
AND I KNOW WE'LL HAVE IT READY WHEN HE'S READY.
Y'ALL, COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THESE, UH, YOUNG SPRY, UH, POLICE AND FIRE CHIEFS.
THEY CAN PAY INTO THE SYSTEM A LOT.
WE, WE, WE'LL GET THEM TO DO THAT.
BUT LISTEN, I WANNA ALSO THANK, UH, THE
MY SISTER WAS ACTUALLY AN EMPLOYEE, UH, FOR MANY YEARS AND, UH, RECENTLY RETIRED.
AND SO JUST HEARING THE ONGOING, UM, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT SAFETY NET SYSTEM, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED HARD, PLAYED BY THE RULES, AND HAVE BEEN GOOD TO CITIZENS TO THIS COUNTRY, I THINK IT IS SIMPLY VITAL AND FOR ALL OF THE OTHER, UH, ASPECTS THAT, UH, THAT, UH, CONGRESSMAN GREEN AND CONGRESSWOMAN GARCIA HAVE LAID OUT.
UH, IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT TO HAVE LONG LIVES AND HEALTHY LIVES.
THAT'S SOMETIMES, UH, NOT UP TO US.
AND SO, WHENEVER THOSE CHALLENGES DO COME, WE WANT
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TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME, UH, AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES THAT WILL, UH, STRENGTHEN US.AND THEN AS A FUN FACT, UH, CHAR JUST, UH, SHARED WITH ME THAT IN JUST 12 YEARS, 53% OF TEXANS WILL REACH THE SOCIAL SECURITY, UH, AGE, UH, ELIGIBILITY.
AND SO IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I, I'D LIKE YOUR COMMENTS, UH, CONGRESSMAN GREEN, THAT EVERY SYSTEM CAN BE IMPROVED, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP IT IN PLACE.
AND SO, UH, LET'S CONTINUE TO FOCUS GOING FORWARD AND NOT THINK THAT, UH, THIS IS NOT DONE, UM, ANY GOOD TO ANYONE, BUT RATHER IT'S SAVED LIVES, HELP LIVES, UH, UNDOUBTEDLY IT'S CHANGED LIVES.
AND SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE, UH, THIS, UH, PROGRAM AND THE ADMINISTRATION.
AND CONGRESSWOMAN GARCIA, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BRINGING ATTENTION TO THIS.
UH, AS SHE MENTIONED, WHENEVER SHE CALLS ON ME FOR MY SENIORS, UH, AND, AND TO HELP OUR SENIORS, I, I LEARNED FROM THE PREVIOUS COMMISSIONER GARCIA THAT, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT, UH, TO THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY AND IN PRECINCT TWO IN PARTICULAR.
SO I'M HONORED TO BE HERE AND, UH, LET'S CELEBRATE THIS BEAUTIFUL BIRTHDAY.
WELL, WE'VE GOT A GREAT CAKE TO DO THAT, BUT WE'LL CUT IT LATER.
WE ALSO HAVE WITH US, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, WHO'S ALSO BEEN A GREAT PARTNER, UH, IN HIS DISTRICT, AND WORKING WITH ALL THE SENIOR CENTERS THAT WE WORK WITH AND ALL THAT WE ALL KNOW.
SO, UM, YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS OR NO, PLEASE.
EVEN IF YOU JUST SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WELL, FIRST LEMME START OFF BY SAYING HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN ALL HONESTY, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A GREAT, UH, PICTURE TO SEE UP HERE.
YOU HAVE CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP, YOU HAVE YOUR, UH, HARRIS COUNTY LEADERSHIP, AND OF COURSE OUR MAYOR.
UM, AND TO BE ABLE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE ARE LOOKING AFTER YOU AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US UP, UH, TOGETHER, CONGRESSWOMAN.
UH, AND IT'S GOOD TO HAVE MY CONGRESSMAN HERE AS WELL.
UM, AND OF COURSE MY COMMISSIONER.
AND SO JUST WANNA SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SOCIAL SECURITY AND KNOW THAT I THINK I'M ALMOST THERE.
I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO POUR INTO WHAT Y'ALL POURED INTO.
OKAY, WELL, WE JUST HAD THE BABY POINT OF VIEW, RIGHT?
AND, AND OF COURSE, UH, WE KNOW WE COULDN'T HAVE A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IN HOUSTON WITHOUT BEING HERE AT CITY HALL WITH THE MAYOR.
AND, UM, I'M JUST WORKING HERE.
IT'S A PEOPLE'S HOUSE FOR SURE.
AND IT'S A, UH, MISSION OF LOVE.
LISTEN, UH, BEFORE I TALK ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY, 'CAUSE SOCIAL SECURITY, QUITE FRANKLY, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, RAISED ME, UH, AFTER MY MOTHER DIVORCED WHEN I WAS EIGHT, SHE MARRIED AN ELDERLY GENTLEMAN THAT HAD JUST GOTTEN ON SOCIAL SECURITY.
SO WHEN I WANTED ANOTHER BALL GLOVE OR A NEW BALL GLOVE, I WAS TOLD, NO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO TALK TO YOUR FATHER.
THE SOCIAL SECURITY GAVE ME THE ESSENTIALS, BUT, UH, I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE.
IT'S, YOU LIVE, LITERALLY, YOU HEAR PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT LIVING MONTH TO MONTH.
WE LIVE MONTH TO MONTH OFF OF SOCIAL SECURITY.
BUT BEFORE I EVEN TALK ABOUT THE GREATNESS OF SOCIAL SECURITY IN OUR COMMITMENT TO SENIORS, I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THIS COLLABORATION UP HERE.
THIS HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THE EXPERIENCE IN HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY WITH OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION FOLKS, THAT SHOWS OUR COMMITMENT TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
WE, WE PARTNER DURING A STORM, WE'RE TOGETHER TO SHARE IDEAS AND RESOURCES.
SO I'M JUST SO PLEASED TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS MORNING CELEBRATION, 89 YEARS.
NOW, LET ME EMPHASIZE, WHEN I THINK OF SOCIAL SECURITY, SECURITY IS A REAL INDICATOR OF WHAT OUR MISSION IS.
AND I MEAN THAT NOT JUST WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, I'M TALKING ABOUT ECONOMIC SAFETY.
UH, HOW ABOUT DURING A STORM? THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MY ADMINISTRATION, WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES, ARE COMMITTED TO YOUR SECURITY, SOCIAL SECURITY LABELED, BECAUSE IT MEANS WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
AND YES, WORKERS, HEALTHY WORKERS, VIBRANT WORKERS TODAY ARE PAYING INTO SOCIAL SECURITY.
'CAUSE WE'VE ALREADY PAID OUR DUES AND RAISED THESE FINE WORKERS.
SO IT'S SECURITY, WHETHER IT'S A COOLING CENTER, A FOOD BANK, YOU NAME IT.
THAT'S OUR MISSION, SECURITY, SOCIAL SECURITY FOR OUR SENIORS.
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89 YEARS, UH, SOUNDS LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT REALLY IT IS JUST KIND OF THE BEGINNING.AND, UH, YOUNG MEN, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ AND, AND YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, UH, HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT SOCIAL SECURITY TO BE A STRONG SYSTEM.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST, WITHOUT GETTING POLITICAL, NOT EVERYONE SHARES OUR VIEWS.
SO BE MINDFUL AS WE GO INTO THE, UH, THE ELECTION SEASON SCREEN, YOUR CANDIDATES, WHO'S REALLY COMMITTED TO SENIORS, WHO'S GONNA PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY, RIGHT? AND MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT THEIR RECORDS AND WORDS MATTER.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE NEED TO CUT THE BIRTHDAY, KATE, 'CAUSE I'M KIND OF READY TO CELEBRATE.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING ME.
ALL RIGHT, CONGRESSWOMAN, WE'RE GONNA GO DOWN AND CUT THE CAKE AND THEN WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF ANYBODY HAS ANY.
WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR JOINING US TODAY.
KEEP IN MIND THAT 22.7 MILLION PEOPLE AND CHILDREN, INCLUDING CHILDREN, ARE LIVING IN POVERTY TODAY IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND MORE THAN 90,000 PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT GET SOCIAL SECURITY.
AND I DON'T, YOU, YOU QUOTED A NUMBER OF, OF THE IMPACT IT HAS TO AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN.
THESE SOCIAL SECURITY IMPACTS ALL FAMILIES.
IT'S LIKE EVERYBODY KNOWS SOMEONE WHO'S GOT IS ON SOCIAL SECURITY OR IS SUPPLYING, WHETHER IT'S IN INTERMEDIATE FAMILY OR A NEIGHBOR, UH, A GRANDMOTHER.
SO THIS, THIS IS REALLY CRITICAL AND VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US.
AND, AND FOR, FOR US, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT PUTTING PEOPLE OVER POLITICS.
AND WE WILL BE THERE TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY TO PASS IT FORWARD.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.