Congressional Record, Senate — November 4, 2021, S7794
Summary
This is S7794 of the Congressional Record, Senate, November 4, 2021, with interleaved columns. A Senator not identified in the text read speaks about COVID-19 vaccines for ages 5 and older, the Texas law S.B. 8, and health care investment. Mr. Wyden introduces S. 3177, a bill to restore protections for Social Security, Railroad retirement, and Black Lung benefits from administrative offset, and says that over 167,000 Americans had benefits garnished for student loan debt, with nearly $200 million collected, with the figures attributed to Mr. Wyden. Mr. Cornyn and Mr. King introduce S. 3178, a bill expressing the sense of Congress on interoperability with Taiwan.
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“Congressional Record, Senate — November 4, 2021, S7794.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-11-04-crec-2021-11-04-pt1-pgs7794-8bec7591c3/
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S7794 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 4, 2021
Vaccines are making a critical dif- disabilities, who often live on fixed in- ‘‘(d) Subparagraphs (A), (C), and (D) of sec-
ference in the fight against COVID–19, comes. More and more seniors and peo- tion 3716(c)(3) of title 31, United States Code,
and just this Wednesday, they will be ple with disabilities are having their as such subparagraphs were in effect on the
date before the date of enactment of the Pro-
available to all ages 5 and older. It is a Social Security and other lifeline bene-
tection of Social Security Benefits Restora-
momentous achievement and a great fits taken away to pay Federal debts. tion Act, shall be null and void and of no ef-
relief to families and communities For example, according to recent data fect.’’.
around the Nation. from the U.S. Bureau of Fiscal Service, (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
At the same time, women in Texas over 167,000 Americans had their bene- (A) Section 14(a) of the Railroad Retire-
are being denied access to reproductive fits garnished for student loan debt. ment Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231m(a)) is
healthcare while, on Monday, the Su- While 167,000 seems small compared to amended by adding at the end the following:
preme Court heard oral arguments on a nation of over 320 million, those ‘‘. The provisions of section 207(d) of the So-
167,000 had nearly $200 million gar- cial Security Act shall apply with respect to
two cases challenging the Texas anti-
this title to the same extent as they apply in
abortion law S.B. 8. Roe v. Wade has nished from their earned benefits. This
the case of title II of such Act.’’.
been the established legal precedent in is just the tip of the iceberg as more (B) Section 2(e) of the Railroad Unemploy-
this country for more than half a cen- Americans start receiving benefits. Be- ment Insurance Act (45 U.S.C. 352(e)) is
tury, but anti-choice activists continue tween 2008 and 2018, the number of indi- amended by adding at the end the following:
to push policies like S.B. 8 that are viduals whose Social Security benefits ‘‘The provisions of section 207(d) of the So-
sending this country and women’s were offset to pay student loans debt cial Security Act shall apply with respect to
health and well-being in the wrong di- increased by 133 percent, from about this title to the same extent as they apply in
72,000 to 169,000. Over that same period, the case of title II of such Act.’’
rection. Women and their healthcare
should not be under constant threat. If the amount collected from Social Secu- (b) REPEAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFSET AU-
rity benefits ballooned from almost $63 THORITY.—
we fail the women of America, we fail
million to nearly $200 million, a 217- (1) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (3) of section
our Nation. 3716(c) of title 31, United States Code, is
Right now, we have a choice on how percent increase.
amended—
we as a nation want to emerge from Social Security plays a critical role (A) by striking ‘‘(3)(A)(i) Notwithstanding’’
the pandemic. We can continue on the in keeping seniors and people with dis- and all that follows through ‘‘any overpay-
same course, leaving millions of fami- abilities out of poverty. In Oregon ment under such program).’’;
lies behind, or we can answer the call alone, Social Security cuts the poverty (B) by striking subparagraphs (C) and (D);
of the American people and invest in rate of the elderly from about 35 per- and
high-quality, equitable healthcare. cent to 5 percent. However, despite So- (C) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as
cial Security’s critical role in the safe- paragraph (3).
Let us answer the call.
ty net, close to 1 out of every 10 seniors (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Paragraph
(5) of such section is amended by striking
By Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. over age 65 and 1 in 5 disabled workers ‘‘the Commissioner of Social Security and’’.
WHITEHOUSE, Mr. PADILLA, Ms. still live in poverty and that is simply
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments
WARREN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mrs. unacceptable. made by this section shall apply to any col-
MURRAY, Mr. BROWN, Mr. SAND- I, along with Senators BROWN, WHITE- lection by administrative offset occurring on
ERS, Ms. HIRONO, and Mr. HOUSE, LEAHY, WARREN, HIRONO. SAND- or after the date of enactment of this Act of
LEAHY): ERS, PADILLA, VAN HOLLEN, and MUR- a claim arising before, on, or after the date
S. 3177. A bill to restore protections RAY am reintroducing the Protection of of enactment of this Act.
for Social Security, Railroad retire- Social Security Benefits Restoration
ment, and Black Lung benefits from Act. The bill would restore the strong By Mr. CORNYN (for himself and
administrative offset; to the Com- protections in the law that prevented Mr. KING):
mittee on Finance. the government from taking away S. 3178. A bill to express the sense of
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, Social earned benefits to pay Federal debts, Congress on interoperability with Tai-
Security provides vital benefits mil- and guarantee beneficiaries will be able wan; to the Committee on Foreign Re-
lions of Americans who work and pay to maintain a basic standard of living lations.
into the system with each paycheck. by receiving the benefits they have
Because Social Security is funda- earned. The bill is supported by the Mr. CORNYN, Mr. President, I ask
mental to workers’ retirement secu- Strengthen Social Security Coalition, unanimous consent to have my bill
rity, the law protected benefits from Social Security Works, National Asso- printed in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.
creditors. The only exceptions were un- ciation of Disability Representatives, The bill expresses the sense of Congress
paid Federal taxes, child support or ali- AFL-CIO, the American Federation of on interoperability with Taiwan.
mony payments, and court-ordered vic- Government Employees, National Or- There being no objection, the text of
tim restitution. These protections en- ganization of Social Security Claim- the bill was ordered to be printed in
sured that the social safety net pro- ants’ Representatives, Justice in the RECORD, as follows:
grams would be there for basic needs. Aging, American Federation of Teach- S. 3178
That protection was weakened over 20 ers, Alliance for Retired Americans,
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep-
years ago when the law was changed. and the National Committee to Pre- resentatives of the United States of America in
Now, more and more seniors face cuts serve Social Security & Medicare. Congress assembled,
in their Social Security benefits be- I ask unanimous consent that the bill
SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON INTER-
cause of student loan debts. While Con- be printed in the RECORD following this OPERABILITY WITH TAIWAN.
gress and the Biden-Harris Administra- statement.
It is the sense of Congress that, consistent
tion took significant steps to protect S. 3177
with the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law
Americans from facing crushing debt Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- 96–8; 22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) and the Six Assur-
during a global pandemic, exempting resentatives of the United States of America in ances, the United States should seek to sup-
the economic impact payments from Congress assembled, port the goals of—
garnishment and extending the freeze SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
(1) improving asymmetric defense capabili-
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protection ties of Taiwan;
on student loan payments through Jan-
of Social Security Benefits Restoration (2) bolstering deterrence to preserve peace,
uary 2022, seniors will still be on the Act’’.
hook for cosigning their child or grand- security, and stability across the Taiwan
SEC. 2. PROTECTING SOCIAL SECURITY, RAIL- Strait; and
child’s student loan debt when those ROAD RETIREMENT, AND BLACK
LUNG BENEFITS FROM ADMINISTRA-
(3) deepening interoperability with Taiwan
payments resume. We need to take ac-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
TIVE OFFSET. in defense capabilities, including in—
tion today to restore the strong protec- (A) maritime and air domain awareness;
(a) PROHIBITION ON ADMINISTRATIVE OFFSET
tions to Social Security and other ben- AUTHORITY.— and
efit programs. (1) ASSIGNMENT UNDER SOCIAL SECURITY (B) integrated air and missile defense sys-
We now realize what a profound ef- ACT.—Section 207 of the Social Security Act tems.
fect the loss of these protections has (42 U.S.C. 407) is amended by adding at the
had on retirees and individuals with end the following new subsection: By Mr. VAN HOLLEN:
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