[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 23 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1747-S1748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN (for himself, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Ford, Mr. 
        Warner, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Reed, Mr. 
        DeWine, Mr. Wellstone and Mr. Hagel):
  S. 375. A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to 
restore the link between the maximum amount of earnings by blind 
individuals permitted without demonstrating ability to engage in 
substantial gainful activity and the exempt amount permitted in 
determining excess earnings under the earnings test; to the Committee 
on Finance.


                 THE BLIND PERSONS EARNINGS EQUITY ACT

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I rise today with my good friend, Senator 
Dodd, to introduce an important piece of legislation which would have a 
tremendous impact on the lives of many blind people. Our bill restores 
the 20-year link between blind people and senior citizens in regard to 
the Social Security earnings limit which has helped many blind people 
become self-sufficient and productive.
  Unfortunately, by passing the Senior Citizens Freedom to Work Act 
last year, Congress broke the longstanding linkage in the treatment of 
blind people and seniors under Social Security, which resulted in 
allowing the earnings limit to be raised for seniors only and did not 
give blind people the same opportunity to increase their earnings 
without penalizing their Social Security benefits.
  My intent when I sponsored the Senior Citizens Freedom to Work Act 
was not to permanently break the link between blind people and the 
senior population. Last year, time constraints and fiscal 
considerations forced me to focus solely on raising the unfair and 
burdensome earnings limit for seniors. I am happy to say that the 
Senior Citizens Freedom to Work Act became law last year, and the 
earnings exemption for seniors is being raised in annual increments 
until it reaches $30,000 in the year 2002. This law is allowing 
millions of seniors to make their lives better and continue 
contributing to society as productive workers.
  We now should work in the spirit of fairness to ensure that this same 
opportunity is given to the blind population. We should provide blind 
people the opportunity to be productive and make it on their own. We 
should not continue policies which discourage these individuals from 
working and contributing to society.
  The bill I am introducing today, along with Senator Dodd, will 
restore the traditional linkage between seniors and blind people and 
allow them the same consideration as seniors in regard to the Social 
Security earnings test. This bill would reunite the earnings exemption 
amount for blind people with the exemption amount for senior citizens. 
If we do not reinstate this link, blind people will be restricted to 
earning $14,400 in the year 2002 in order to protect their Social 
Security benefits, compared to the $30,000 which seniors will be 
permitted to earn.
  There are very strong and convincing arguments in favor of 
reestablishing the link between these two groups and increasing the 
earnings limit for blind people.

  First, the earnings test treatment of our blind and senior 
populations has historically been identical. Since 1977, blind people 
and senior citizens have

[[Page S1748]]

shared the identical earnings exemption threshold under title II of the 
Social Security Act. Now, senior citizens will be given greater 
opportunity to increase their earnings without having their Social 
Security benefits being penalized; the blind, however, will not have 
the same opportunity.
  The Social Security earnings test imposes as great a work 
disincentive for blind people as it does for senior citizens. In fact, 
the earnings test probably provides a greater aggregate disincentive 
for blind individuals since many blind beneficiaries are of working 
age--18-65--and are capable of productive work.
  Blindness is often associated with adverse social and economic 
consequences. It is often tremendously difficult for blind individuals 
to find sustained employment or any employment at all, but they do want 
to work. They take great pride in being able to work and becoming 
productive members of society. By linking the blind with seniors in 
1977, Congress provided a great deal of hope and incentive for blind 
people in this country to enter the work force. Now, we are taking that 
hope away from them by not allowing them the same opportunity to 
increase their earnings as senior citizens.
  Blind people are likely to respond favorably to an increase in the 
earnings test by working more, which will increase their tax payments 
and their purchasing power and allow the blind to make a greater 
contribution to the general economy. In addition, encouraging the blind 
to work and allowing them to work more without being penalized would 
bring additional revenue into the Social Security trust funds. In 
short, restoring the link between blind people and senior citizens for 
treatment of Social Security benefits would help many blind people 
become self sufficient, productive members of society.
  I want to stress that it was always my intent that the link between 
blind and senior populations would only be temporarily broken. I urge 
my colleagues to join me in sponsoring this important measure to 
restore fair and equitable treatment for our blind citizens and to give 
the blind community increased financial independence. Our Nation would 
be better served if we restore the work incentive equality provision 
for the blind and provide them with the same freedom, opportunities and 
fairness as our Nation's seniors.
  I ask unanimous consent that numerous letters of support from various 
community groups and state organizations be included as a part of the 
Record. In addition, I would like to thank the many chapters of the 
National Federation of the Blind from throughout the country who have 
sent letters of support for this important piece of legislation 
including the Arizona Chapter, Idaho Western Chapter, Minnesota, 
Alabama, South Carolina, Shoreline Chapter of Connecticut, Iowa, Idaho, 
Minnesota's Metro Chapter, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, New York, 
Utah, Pennsylvania, California, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Idaho s Elmore 
County, and the Pend Oreille Chapter of Idaho.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                            National Industries for the Blind,

                                Alexandria, VA, February 21, 1997.
     Hon. John McCain,
     241 Russell Senate Office Building, U.S. Senate, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Senator McCain: On behalf of National Industries for 
     the Blind and our 119 associated industries in 38 states, 
     that employ over 5,300 people who are blind, I vigorously 
     endorse your proposed legislation to amend title II of the 
     Social Security Act.
       This legislation to re-institute the linkage, between 
     people who are blind and senior citizens, if passed, will 
     allow people who are blind to strive for full employment.
       Please let us know how NIB can be of further assistance to 
     you as you seek support of this important legislation.
           Sincerely,
     Judith D. Moore.
                                  ____

                                   Rehabilitation Advisory Council


                                                for the Blind,

                                  St. Paul, MN, February 20, 1997.
     Hon. John McCain,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator McCain: On behalf of the Rehabilitation 
     Advisory Council for the Blind in Minnesota, I wish to 
     express our strong support for the restoration of the 
     earnings limits linkage under the Social Security Act between 
     the blind and age 65 retirees. It is my understanding that 
     you will be introducing a bill to achieve this restoration. 
     We commend you for your willingness to exercise leadership on 
     behalf of blind people who want to work and participate 
     actively and productively in society. We support your bill.
       The Social Security earnings limit for the blind is 
     presently set at $12,000 per year. As I am sure you are 
     aware, this is a powerful disincentive for blind people to 
     leave the Social Security rolls and become self-supporting 
     citizens. This barrier to self-support will become even more 
     insurmountable as the gap between the blind and senior 
     citizens widens. It is vital, therefore, that the blind 
     achieve parity with age 65 retirees insofar as earnings 
     limits under the Social Security Act are concerned. Using the 
     figures that apply to senior citizens, this means raising the 
     earnings limit for the blind to $30,000 per year by the year 
     2002.
       Thank you for recognizing the problem and taking forthright 
     action to deal with it.
           Yours sincerely,

                                                 Curtis Chong,

                              Chairperson, Rehabilitation Advisory
     Council for the Blind.
                                  ____



                               Louisiana Center for the Blind,

                                    Ruston, LA, February 21, 1997.
       Dear Senator McCain: Since 1985, the Louisiana Center for 
     the Blind has provided training and job placement services 
     for hundreds of blind adults throughout the country. One of 
     our primary goals is to help blind persons become employed so 
     that they can become productive, tax-paying citizens. Over 
     the past twelve years, we have observed that one of the main 
     disincentives for employment is the earnings limit under 
     Social Security Disability Insurance.
       As the director of the Louisiana Center for the Blind, I 
     want to express my strong support for your bill which would 
     restore the linkage between the blind and retirees for the 
     earnings limit under the Social Security Act. Since the 
     unemployment rate among the blind is a staggering 70%, I 
     firmly believe that your bill will decrease this statistic by 
     helping blind Americans enter the workforce.
       Thank you for your efforts on behalf of the nation's blind.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Joanne Wilson,
                                                         Director.
                                 ______