congressional_record: CREC-1994-10-08-pt1-PgE241
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| granule_id | date | congress | session | volume | issue | title | chamber | granule_class | sub_granule_class | page_start | page_end | speakers | bills | citation | full_text |
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| CREC-1994-10-08-pt1-PgE241 | 1994-10-08 | 103 | 2 | RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD | HOUSE | EXTENSIONS | FRONTMATTER | E | E | [{"name": "William F. Clinger Jr.", "role": "speaking"}] | 140 Cong. Rec. E | Congressional Record, Volume 140 Issue 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994) [Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [Congressional Record: October 8, 1994] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD ______ speech of HON. WILLIAM F. CLINGER, JR. of pennsylvania in the house of representatives Thursday, October 6, 1994 Mr. CLINGER. Mr. Speaker, railroads played a vital role in the dawning of the industrial age in America, and no other State's history and heritage have been enriched more by the rail industry than Pennsylvania's. During the late 1800's and early 1900's, hundreds of miles of railroad tracks stretched across Pennsylvania, allowing merchants to ship freight and transport passengers in and out of the State. The birth of mass production in America created enormous demands for Pennsylvania coal, iron, and steel, and these industries relied heavily on the railroad network to move their goods to manufacturers in St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and other areas of the country. Aside from serving as the lifeline of Pennsylvania commerce, the rail industry employed thousands of hard-working Pennsylvanians as engineers, operators, mechanics, and railyard workers. Many employees were immigrants or first- and second-generation Americans whose parents and grandparents left England, Ireland, Germany, or Eastern Europe in search of opportunity and prosperity. Working for the railroad was not always easy or pleasant. Pennsylvania railroad employees toiled through the high times and economic growth of the Industrial Revolution; endured the bitter clashes between labor and management; and witnessed the decline of the rail industry as automobiles, highways, and other technological advances provided alternative modes of transportation. Today, thousands of railroad employees, retirees, and their families still live in Pennsylvania. Over the past year, I've heard from a great number of them in my district who are worried the railroad retirement system will be dismantled and their hard-earned benefits put at risk. Indeed, proposals to eliminate the Railroad Retirement Board have surfaced a number of times over the past several years. Most recently, Vice President Gore's National Performance Review recommended eliminating the Board and transferring its functions to other Federal agencies. Under the proposal, retirement benefits would be administered by the Social Security Administration, unemployment benefits would become the responsibility of State unemployment agencies, and sickness benefits would be managed by Medicare. While I wholeheartedly support the goals of Vice President Gore's National Performance Review to make Government work better and cost less, I fail to see any justification for dismantling the Board. I do not believe the proposal will increase Government efficiency or save the American taxpayers money. The Railroad Retirement Board was established in 1934 to protect the solvency of rail industry pension programs during the Great Depression. The Board oversees the railroad retirement system and its trust funds which are financed by payroll taxes levied on railroad employers and employees. Over the past 60 years, millions of railworkers have paid into the system with expectations of receiving retirement, sickness, disability, and survivor benefits when and if they are needed. Although the Clinton administration's intentions to eliminate Government waste may be genuine, its recommendation to dissolve the Board is misguided. Since the cost of the railroad retirement system is borne by the rail industry, elimination of the Railroad Retirement Board will not yield any savings for American taxpayers. Instead, dismantling the railroad retirement system may only make it more burdensome for railroad workers and their survivors to get the benefits they have paid for and need. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to preserving the Railroad Retirement Board and the railroad retirement system. Realizing the 103d Congress will soon come to a close, I fully intend to reintroduce the measure at the beginning of the 104th Congress. Nevertheless, I encourage my colleagues to demonstrate their support for railroad workers and their families by joining me as a cosponsor of this resolution. ____________________ |