[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 36 (Wednesday, March 19, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S2573]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  OLDER AMERICANS FREEDOM TO WORK ACT

 Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I want to commend the majority 
leader for reintroducing the Older Americans Freedom to Work Act, S. 
202, which I recently have cosponsored. This bill will repeal the 
Social Security earnings limitation, which punishes seniors between the 
ages of 65 and 69 for working. That's right--for working.
  The earnings limit, like so many other Government policies, is 
outdated. Back in the 1930's, it may have made sense to encourage older 
workers to leave the work force by reducing their Social Security 
benefits if they worked beyond age 65. But today, the opposite is true: 
With the baby boomers getting ready to retire, and with a higher life 
expectancy, we should be encouraging folks to work longer. Most 
important, workers should have the freedom to work longer if they want 
to.
  Last year, after a long-fought effort by Majority Leader Lott and 
many others, we enacted a gradual increase in the earnings limit from 
$13,500 today to $30,000 per year in 2002. That is, for seniors between 
the ages of 65 and 69, each $3 earned over $30,000 per year reduces the 
worker's Social Security benefits by $1. While this increase is 
certainly helpful, there is no sound reason for retaining any earnings 
limitation on seniors who continue to work. That's why this bill is so 
important. Let's not discourage seniors from working--let's guarantee 
their freedom to work.

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