[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 8, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION

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                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 2003

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Notch Baby 
Act of 2003, which would create a new alternative transition 
computation formula for Social Security benefits for those seniors born 
between 1917 and 1926. These seniors, who are generally referred to as 
``Notch Babies,'' have been receiving lower monthly Social Security 
benefits than seniors born the years just prior to or after this ten 
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 1917 received $110 a month less in Social Security benefits than 
did the retiree born just two weeks before in 1916. Also take into 
consideration that there are currently millions of 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 2003 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 108th Congress.

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