Washington, DC - Dan Weber, President of the Association of Mature American Citizens issued the following statement regarding the measure passed today by the House as part of its rules package (H. Res. 5) for the next two years:

On the first day of the 114th Congress, the House passed an important measure to safeguard Social Security as part of its rules package.

The rule, offered by the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security Sam Johnson (TX-03), prohibits the transfer of funds from Social Security's retirement program (OASI) to the Social Security disability program (SSDI) unless Congress enacts legislation to address and improve the program's long-term finances.

For far too long, lawmakers and other parties have used OASI as a slush fund to bailout DI, which is expected to become insolvent in 2016. Over the years, individuals enduring financial hardship have been increasingly allowed to rely upon SSDI at the expense of those truly disabled. The real problem is a considerable lack of accountable and appropriate controls over the criteria defining eligibility for DI benefits. In fact, now retired Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and his staff conducted serious oversight and investigations into SSDI abuse, exposing levels of corruption, cronyism between lawyers and bureaucrats, waste and fraud.

AMAC applauds the House for taking this bold first step toward greater entitlement accountability. Not only does this measure protect Social Security, but it encourages further legislative action that will help us keep our promise to America's seniors that Social Security will be there for them. It also ensures that SSDI exists for the truly disabled, rather than another convenient handout program at the Federal level.

AMAC looks forward to working with the Social Security Subcommittee and the 114th Congress to see that this promise is kept.