[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 6, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E10]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         NOTCH BABY ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 6, 1999

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Notch Baby 
Act of 1999 which would create a new alternative transition computation 
formula for Social Security benefits for those seniors born between 
1917 and 1921. These seniors, who are generally referred to as ``Notch 
Babies,'' have been receiving lower monthly Social Security benefits 
than seniors born in the years just prior to or after this five year 
period.
  There are those who dispute the existence of a Notch problem. 
However, take into consideration the following example presented in a 
1994 report by the Commission on Social Security Notch Issue. There are 
two workers who retired at the same age with the same average career 
earnings. One was born on December 31, 1916 and the other was born on 
January 2, 1917. Both retired in 1982 at the age of 65. The retiree 
born in 1917 receives $110 a month less in Social Security benefits 
than did the retiree born just two days before in 1996. Also take into 
consideration that there are currently more than 6 million seniors in 
our Nation who are faced with this painfully obvious inequity in the 
Social Security benefit computation formula.
  By phasing in an improved benefit formula over five years, the Notch 
Baby Act of 1999 will restore fairness and equality in the Social 
Security benefit computation formula for the Notch Babies. For once and 
for all this legislation would put to rest the Notch issue, and it 
would put an end to the constant barrage of mailings and fundraising 
attempts which target our Nation's seniors in the name of Notch reform. 
Our seniors deserve fairness and equality in the Social Security 
system. They deserve an end to the repeated congressional stalling on 
this issue. I urge my colleagues in the House to discuss this issue 
with the seniors in their districts, and to join me in ensuring that 
the Notch issue is addressed in the 106th Congress.

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