[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 103 (Thursday, July 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1508-E1509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY FAIRNESS FOR MERCHANT MARINERS ACT 
                                OF 2004

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2004

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the ``Social 
Security Fairness for Merchant Mariners Act of 2004'' (H.R. 4904).
  There were three major roles in World War II: the fighting forces 
overseas, the production army at home, and the link between them--the 
United States Merchant Marine. The maritime power of the Merchant 
Marine may have been the difference between victory and defeat.
  The World War II Merchant Mariners suffered the highest casualty rate 
of any of the branches of service while they delivered troops, tanks, 
food, airplanes, fuel and other needed supplies to every theater of the 
war. Enemy forces sank over 800 ships between 1941 and 1944 alone.
  Given the role of the Merchant Mariners in World War II, it is 
unbelievable that they were not given their proper recognition as 
``veterans''. I would hope that this was an oversight, not a deliberate 
attempt to exclude them from benefits.
  One of the results of this lack of the ``veteran'' designation is 
that the law does not recognize Merchant Mariners as veterans for 
Social Security purposes. If they had the veteran designation, their 
Social Security would have been calculated as if they had earned $160 
more a month than they did earn during their time in service in the 
Merchant Marines. Of course, what this means is a smaller Social 
Security check, now that they are retired.
  My bill H.R. 4904, will fix this unfair situation! It will provide 
benefits with the status of ``veteran'' under the Social Security Act 
to the Merchant Mariners who served during World War II.
  Combined with my bill, the ``Belated Thank You to the Merchant 
Mariners of World War II'' (H.R. 3729), which would compensate them for 
their exclusion from GI Bill benefits, Congress can fix the injustice 
that has been endured by the Merchant Mariners. We can never make up 
for years lost, but we can provide additional benefits to Merchant 
Mariners, many of whom are living on small, fixed incomes, in their 
final years.
  I urge my colleagues to support and co-sponsor H.R. 4904

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