[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 97 (Friday, June 27, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO TSCL'S LEADERSHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. WALTER B. JONES

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 26, 2003

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to 
introduce to you the TREA Senior Citizens League and its new 
leadership.
  The TREA Senior Citizens League (TSCL) is a national group of 
politically active seniors concerned about the protection of their 
earned Social Security, Medicare, military, and other retirement 
benefits. TSCL originated as a group of retired enlisted servicemen and 
women. TSCL is among the largest seniors groups with over 1.2 million 
active members. It is a non-partisan, non-profit educational and 
advocacy organization.
  Key issues for TSCL include Social Security COLA fairness; using a 
separate CPI-E consumer price index for the elderly to calculate COLA 
for seniors; Notch reform; and a fair medicare and prescription drug 
coverage. One of the main issues continues to center on Notch reform 
and providing either a lump sum benefit over four years or an improved 
benefit calculation for those individuals born in the years 1917-1926. 
It is also important to ensure that future generations do not receive 
lower benefits because of the year in which they were born or because 
of government miscalculations in the Social Security system.
  Since 2001 TSCL has been under the leadership of Board of Trustees 
Chairman George Smith with board members Ms. Dottie Holmes, Mr. Fred 
Athans, Mr. Richard Brogan, and more recently Mr. Ralph McCutchen. The 
elected TSCL Board of Trustees is a volunteer board governing the 
organization. Retirees and near-retirees make up the board and 
volunteer their services with the goal of improving the lives of fellow 
seniors. It was a pleasure for me to meet with their fine Board of 
Trustees Members List October at their offices in Alexandria, Virginia.
  Under the forward-looking leadership of George Smith, the 
organization is determined to gain greater credibility and 
respectability both in Congress and in the country as a whole. In this 
regard Chairman Smith is to be commended for enlisting my good friend 
and former colleague in Congress Former Ambassador David Funderburk as 
TSCL's Legislative Consultant.
  The legislative program for the organization for the 108th Congress 
includes plans for personal meetings with over half of the Members of 
Congress to try to gain support for issues of interest to seniors and 
TSCL members. TSCL efforts in these tasks have been boosted by the 
recent scholarly study of noted economist Dr. John Haldi that verifies 
the viability of the Notch. The organization has an active website, 
newsletter and direct mail communication with its members.
  Just in the first half of 2003, TSCL has hosted a press conference in 
the Capitol, and worked with Members of Congress and the White House on 
the prescription drug issue. A Dear Colleague letter from six Members 
of Congress has introduced the organization and its issues to the whole 
Congress. Several Members of the House and Senate have recently 
contributed articles on seniors issues to the TSCL newsletter: The 
Social Security & Medicare Advisor. And I am pleased to say that TSCL 
strongly supports my bill: The Social Security Guarantee Act.
  Since Mr. Smith took over leadership of the TSCL Board of Trustees he 
has brought a seriousness of purpose and a determination to build 
credibility and respect for the organization. He insisted that the 
group's educational efforts through direct mail be well researched and 
documented. As Chairman Smith says, TSCL does not sell anything. Rather 
it strives to educate the public about issues important to senior 
citizens. Since so many of them have served their country in the 
military and in so many other ways, they are especially deserving of 
fair treatment.
  When Mr. Smith one day completes his voluntary stint as Chairman of 
the TSCL Board of Trustees he should be able to say that he has left 
the organization much better off than he found it. He is to be 
commended for his vision and his desire to help some of the most worthy 
and needy of all of our citizens: our senior citizens including many 
who served the military and fought for their country. I am happy to pay 
tribute to the organization and its leadership.

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