[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 2 (Thursday, January 5, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E55-E56]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     NOTCH LEGISLATION IS IN ORDER

                                 ______


                           HON. BILL EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 5, 1995
  Mr. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation of 
the utmost importance to over 6 million of our Nation's senior 
citizens. My bill, the Notch Baby Act of 1995, would create a new 
alternative transitional computation method for those born between 1917 
and 1921, making a phase-in uniform over a 5-year period. The Notch 
Baby Act of 1995 would put to rest the notch issue once and for all.
  As you may know, the Commission on the Social Security Notch Issue 
recently released its report on this issue. The Commission concluded 
that ``no remedial legislation is in order.'' I strongly disagree.
  In its report, the Commission offers an example of two workers who 
retired at the same age with the average career earnings. One 
[[Page E56]] was born on December 31, 1916, and the other on January 2, 
1917. If both retired in 1982 at age 65, the difference in benefits was 
$110 a month.
  I urge my colleagues in the House to take a close look at the Notch 
Baby Act of 1995. This legislation is an affordable remedy for the 
notch injustice that many in Congress have tried to ignore, hoping the 
problem would just go away. It won't.
  Seniors deserve an end to the barrage of mailings and fundraising 
attempts made on behalf of the Social Security notch. Seniors deserve 
an end to the repeated congressional delays and stalls. Seniors deserve 
an end to the uncertainty. Seniors deserve action by the 104th 
Congress. Notch remedial legislation is in order.


                          ____________________