[WATCH] Rep. Courtney Reminds His Colleagues that Social Security is an Insurance Program—Not an Entitlement

Earlier this week, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) spoke from the House Floor to remind his colleagues that Social Security is not an “entitlement”—it’s an insurance program that Americans pay into with each paycheck.

As the battle to raise the debt ceiling and uphold America’s fiscal solvency continues, Courtney spoke on Monday about the need to protect Social Security and Medicare from being weakened and watered down. There are currently more than 150,000 people in eastern Connecticut who depend on Social Security each month, and Courtney has heard from many of them about concerns that the program could face deep cuts and harmful reforms under the new House majority. Courtney’s remarks came ahead of the State of the Union address on Tuesday, where President Biden encouraged Congress to take proposed “entitlement reforms” to Medicare and Social Security off the negotiating table.

Courtney highlighted the fact that the debt ceiling is a legal authorization that provides the U.S. with the ability to meet our nation’s already existing fiscal obligations—not to authorize new spending. He also noted that Congress has historically worked together under Presidents from both sides of the aisle to raise or extend the debt limit. According to the U.S. Treasury, Congress has acted 78 separate times to raise or extend the debt limit since 1960—49 times under Republican presidents, and 29 times under Democratic presidents.