[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 209 (Tuesday, December 19, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S6035]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                    Confirmation of Martin O'Malley

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, everything we do here should come back to 
the dignity of work, the idea that hard work should pay off for 
everyone, no matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter 
what kind of work you do. When work has dignity, people have good jobs, 
a secure retirement. They can count on Medicare. They can count on 
Social Security to be there for them.
  That is why we, 2 years ago, saved the pension of 100,000 Ohioans who 
worked their whole lives to earn a pension and peace of mind in 
retirement. That is why we are still fighting for Delphi retirees who 
lost their pensions through no fault of their own. That is why we will 
always--always--fight back against attacks on Social Security. Making 
sure that all Americans have a secure retirement shouldn't be a 
partisan issue.
  Social Security and Medicare are two of the most popular and unifying 
institutions in the country. Social Security is our government's 
promise to working men and women--a promise that they will, in fact, be 
able to retire with dignity.
  Support for Social Security cuts across party lines, geographic 
lines, and racial lines. Americans want not only to protect Social 
Security and Medicare, they want to make it stronger. Martin O'Malley, 
whom we confirmed last night, understands this. As Commissioner, he 
will make sure that the Social Security Administration is accessible 
and responsive. He will ensure we are keeping this bedrock promise to 
the American people.
  We need to do our part in this body too. It means passing my Social 
Security Fairness Act to repeal restrictions from two old laws that are 
preventing more than 3 million Americans--about 250,000 people in my 
State alone, including Ohio law enforcement--from receiving the Social 
Security benefits they have earned.
  Ohio first responders put their lives on the line to protect our 
communities. They paid into Social Security just like everyone else. 
All these Ohio workers are asking for is what they have earned; that 
is, the dignity of a secure retirement.
  We need to pass my bill to reform the supplemental security income--
so-called SSI--program's outdated restrictions that punish people for 
working and saving, preventing 8 million Americans with disabilities 
from building a better life for themselves. It hasn't changed in 40 
years. We should update it.
  If these Americans have even $1 more than $2,000 in their savings 
account or $3,000 for married couples--not very high, frankly--all 
their SSI benefits are taken away. With these outdated rules, there is 
no way to save for an emergency or plan for the future or, in essence, 
have agency over your own life.
  There is broad support for this; it is not partisan; it is not 
ideological. At the committee I chair, the Banking and Housing 
Committee, I asked the CEOs of the eight largest banks if they 
supported this change, and every single one of them said yes. Every 
single one endorsed my bill. The big banks and I don't agree on much of 
anything, but we do agree on this.
  By passing our bipartisan bill to update this outdated program, we 
also can fix the root cause of the SSI overpayments and clawbacks that 
have been hitting too many Ohioans. This has gone on for far too long 
and has hurt too many Ohioans, who--again, through no fault of their 
own--have been forced to deal with the issue of overpayments because of 
the SSA's outdated policies. Ohioans shouldn't be paying for the 
government's mistakes.
  Martin O'Malley, our new Commissioner, made it clear to me in a one-
on-one meeting that he is committed to working with us to finally 
address the root causes of these overpayments; and by increasing the 
asset limit, we are addressing what the SSA calls the leading cause of 
overpayments--stopping them before they ever go out in the first place.
  These bills are bipartisan. They provide real fixes to real problems 
for hard-working Ohioans. People who don't have special interests are 
speaking out on their behalf. They have us, and it is what we should 
be--those who are speaking out for them. For years, they have watched 
politicians give corporate tax cuts; they have watched Wall Street 
bailouts, in many cases in this body while plotting to cut their Social 
Security.
  In the end, it is about whose side you are on. I will always fight to 
protect Social Security and to make sure Americans get the retirements 
that they have earned.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii.