[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 115 (Thursday, September 12, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING VERLYAN RUTH BYRD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JERRY F. COSTELLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 12, 2002

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join 
me in recognizing Mrs. Verlyan Ruth Byrd, an honorable federal employee 
who loyally served her country throughout her life.
  During World War II, Mrs. Byrd was recruited by the United States 
Army as a typist at the Granite City Army Depot in Granite City, 
Illinois. She worked part time at the depot as a high school student, 
and upon graduation she got a job as a full-time clerk typist. She 
continued to serve her country with the Department of Defense through 
1978, when she suffered a severe heart attack. Mrs. Byrd was forced 
into early retirement in 1979.
  Upon her retirement, the Social Security Administration told Mrs. 
Byrd that she could file for social security upon her 65th birthday. 
However, when she entered the office after she reached the age of 65, 
she was told that due to the Government Pension Offset (GPO) law she 
was not eligible to receive Social Security.
  This law, which went into effect after she was forced to retire, 
reduces pension funds for spouses for work that was not covered by 
Social Security. While the law was originally intended to prevent 
``double dipping'' into social security funds by government workers who 
receive substantial pensions, many seniors have been forced by the law 
to live in poverty while being denied the money they paid into the 
system.
  Mrs. Byrd spent the latter years of her life living in an old house 
that was desperately in need of repairs. She also had substantial 
medical bills and used as many as 15 prescription drugs on any given 
day. Despite her life as a loyal government employee, Mrs. Byrd was 
forced to live in poverty in the waning years of her life.
  Mrs. Byrd was said by her friends to be a considerate, generous, 
family oriented woman with a kind disposition. She wrote to government 
officials to have the GPO law repealed, but action was not taken 
quickly enough. Mrs. Byrd died on Sunday, July 28, 2002 at 7:20 p.m. 
She was not alone in her struggle with the GPO law. Many other 
government employees, particularly in the teaching community, are ill-
served by this law.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Ruth 
Byrd and wishing the best for her family, and to urge immediate action 
by the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 664, legislation I have 
cosponsored to address the GPO problem.

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