[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E32]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE NOTCH BABY ACT OF 1997

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 1997

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing long-overdue 
legislation to correct an injustice done to well over 6 million senior 
citizens by the Social Security Amendments of 1977. My legislation, the 
Notch Baby Act of 1997, will adopt a transitional computation method to 
assure that America's ``Notch Babies'' born between 1917 and 1921 
receive equitable Social Security benefits.
  Contrary to what many think, Mr. Speaker, the Social Security Notch 
is a simple problem that is greatly in need of an obvious solution. 
Seniors born in the 5-year period after 1916 have seen lower average 
Social Security benefit payments than those born shortly before or 
after. This disparity is directly attributable to the revised benefit 
calculation formula that resulted from the Social Security Amendments 
of 1977. The facts are clear and Congress must take action to correct 
this unintended error.
  In December 1994, the Commission on the Social Security Notch issued 
its final report and recommendation to Congress. The commission cited 
an example of two workers who retired at the same age with the same 
average career earnings. One of these workers was born on December 31, 
1916. The other was born 48 hours later, on January 2, 1917. If both 
retired in 1982 at age 65, the worker born in 1917 would receive $110 
less in monthly Social Security benefits. And yet the Commission on the 
Social Security Notch concluded that ``benefits paid to those in the 
`Notch' years are equitable, and no remedial legislation is in order.'' 
Mr. Speaker, I beg to differ. One-hundred and ten dollars per month 
represents a lot of money to any family, but even more so to the 
millions of retirees who live on a limited, fixed monthly income.
  The time for Congress to take action to correct the ``Notch'' 
injustice is long overdue. I urge all of my colleagues to review the 
Notch Baby Act of 1997 and cosponsor this important piece of 
legislation.

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