[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 18 (Wednesday, February 27, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CONGRESS SHOULD NOT ENDORSE DECEPTIVE SENIOR GROUPS

  (Mr. KLECZKA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill in response 
to the deceptive tactics of a group that preys on our senior citizens. 
The Retired Enlisted Association's Senior Citizen League, or TREA, as 
it is called, has repeatedly targeted seniors with deceptive ``Notch'' 
mailings in an attempt to extort millions of dollars from these 
seniors.
  This is a scam. TREA is telling seniors that they are working to 
correct a problem that does not exist in an attempt to bilk the elderly 
out of their hard-earned money. From 1997 to 2000, this group raked in 
over $46 million.
  Because of these tactics, today I am introducing the Senior 
Protection Act, which would revoke TREA's Federal charter, a 
distinction given to groups with a patriotic, charitable, or 
educational mandate. Their deceptive tactics reflect none of these 
characteristics.
  Congress can no longer turn a blind eye to TREA's fund-raising 
schemes which exploit our seniors. Mr. Speaker, I would ask my 
colleagues to join me and cosponsor this necessary legislation.

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