[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 112 (Friday, August 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RAILROAD RETIREMENT AND SURVIVORS IMPROVEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. MELISSA A. HART

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 31, 2001

  Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support H.R. 1140, 
the Railroad Retirement and Survivors Improvement Act of 2001. As a 
cosponsor and one of the 384 yea votes, I am pleased to see the House 
pass this needed legislation.
  One of the original meetings I had in my first months in Congress was 
with a group of widows whose husbands had worked for Conrail in Beaver 
County in my Pennsylvania district. These women expressed to me how 
they struggled to pay their high electricity bills and rising health 
care costs, and that this legislation would go a long way toward 
helping them meet those costs. Last session, the House approved similar 
legislation, but the Senate failed to consider it. I hope that the 
overwhelming support in the House this time will give the momentum we 
need to give these widows and retires the relief they need. It also 
modernizes the pension plan--ensuring that the program will continue to 
railroad workers and their loved ones.
  This legislation not only increases benefits to widows of railroad 
employees, but also:
  Lowers the minimum age of workers with 30 years service eligible for 
full benefits;
  Creates an independent Railroad Retirement Trust Fund; and
  Expands the investment authority of the fund to generate better 
returns.
  In a ``railroad state'' like Pennsylvania, legislation like this 
provides the needed security for a large portion of our residents. It 
has the backing of both railroad labor and management.
  Now that we have done our part to pass legislation that strengthens 
railroad retirement, let's make sure that we follow through and get 
this legislation to the President's desk.

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