PRINTER'S NO.  568

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

No.

67

Session of

2011

  

  

INTRODUCED BY WATERS, V. BROWN, CALTAGIRONE, MURPHY, MAHONEY, BISHOP, D. COSTA, FABRIZIO, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, HORNAMAN, KAVULICH, KIRKLAND, KULA, SABATINA, READSHAW AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 10, 2011

  

  

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES, FEBRUARY 10, 2011  

  

  

  

A RESOLUTION

  

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Expressing the House of Representatives' support for the Social

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Security system and urging the Congress of the United States

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to reconsider raising Social Security payments to seniors and

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the disabled, due to the rise in food and energy prices and

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the cost of living.

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WHEREAS, Economic security for American families is an

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essential part of national security, and Social Security is the

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foundation of America's retirement security program; and

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WHEREAS, The Social Security system is a unifying force for

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our nation at a time when national unity is a paramount value;

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and

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WHEREAS, Social Security protects virtually all American

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families against the loss of earnings resulting from retirement,

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disability or death; and

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WHEREAS, Social Security is vital to the well-being of all

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Americans because of the ability of the survivors and disability

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benefits program to provide necessary resources for eligible

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Americans regardless of age; and

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WHEREAS, Two-thirds of older Americans rely on Social

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Security for the majority of their income, and approximately

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one-third of elderly individuals receive nearly all of their

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income from Social Security; and

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WHEREAS, For 75 years, through good times and bad, Social

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Security has succeeded in protecting working persons and their

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families from precipitous drops in household income because of

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lost wages; and

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WHEREAS, Social Security has kept millions of Americans out

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of poverty, including senior citizens, widows and disabled and

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dependent children whose parents have died, become disabled or

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retired; and

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WHEREAS, Social Security provides the only source of

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retirement, disability and survivors benefits backed by the full

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faith and credit of the United States and guaranteed against

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erosion caused by inflation; and

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WHEREAS, Social Security revenues and reserves are fully

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adequate to pay all benefits due at least until 2039 and

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adequate to pay 80% of benefits thereafter; and

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WHEREAS, Social Security has not contributed to the Federal

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budget deficit or national debt; and

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WHEREAS, More than 53 million Americans receive Social

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Security benefits, including approximately 36.5 million retirees

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and their spouses, 8.2 million disabled persons and their

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spouses, 4.5 million surviving spouses of deceased workers and

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4.3 million dependent children; and

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WHEREAS, Seniors have put in a lifetime of hard work, helping

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to make the economy grow and make this nation great, and they

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deserve a dignified and secure retirement; and

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WHEREAS, Nearly three out of ten of today's 20-year-olds will

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become disabled before he or she reaches age 67, according to

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the Social Security Administration; and

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WHEREAS, Seventy percent of workers in the private sector

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have no long-term disability insurance; and

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WHEREAS, The United States is experiencing the worst economic

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downturn since the Great Depression; and

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WHEREAS, The United States decennial census has reported that

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43.7 million Americans, or 14.3% of the population, currently

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live below the poverty level, a number which is expected to

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increase; and

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WHEREAS, Forty-two million Americans rely on food stamps to

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meet their nutritional needs, according to the United States

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Department of Agriculture; and

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WHEREAS, Current economic conditions, combined with the high

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cost of housing, energy and food, have made it difficult for the

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most vulnerable Americans to provide for basic necessities; and

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WHEREAS, The Social Security Act provides for an automatic

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increase in Social Security and SSI benefits if there is an

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increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and

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Clerical Workers from the third quarter of the last year when a

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cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) was determined to the third

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quarter of the current year; and

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WHEREAS, The Social Security Act prohibits a change in the

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maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax as

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well as the retirement earnings test exempt amounts if there is

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no COLA; and

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WHEREAS, The Social Security Administration announced in

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October 2010 that Social Security recipients will not receive a

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COLA in 2011 because there was no increase in the Consumer Price

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Index from the third quarter of 2008, the last year a COLA was

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determined, to the third quarter of 2010, and therefore, under

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existing law, there can be no COLA in 2011; therefore be it

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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the Congress

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of the United States to employ all possible means, including

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amending Federal law, to raise Social Security payments to

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seniors and the disabled.

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