[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 58 (Thursday, May 5, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E897-E898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FAIR TAXES, FAIR BENEFITS, FAIR SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THE WOMEN OF OUR 
                                NATION!

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 5, 2005

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for three bills 
that I have introduced to provide financial relief to women in our 
Nation. Both men and women will receive assistance from this 
legislation, but because women are often with less financial resources, 
they will particularly benefit.
  My first bill, H.R. 2127, the ``Fair Taxes for Seniors Act'', will 
provide a one-time increase in the capital gains tax exemption on the 
sale of a home for citizens who are 50 years of age or older. Passing 
this bill will give many seniors the additional money they need for 
nursing home care, medical costs, and other retirement expenses.
  The current capital gains tax exemption works well for younger people 
who often move from job to job, selling their homes. The current 
exemption works well for people who live in areas where housing prices 
are below average. But it is not working for individuals who have lived 
in one home for 20 to 50 years and have a capital gain that is much 
larger than the present exemption. In other words, it is not working 
for seniors who live in areas with higher housing prices, such as San 
Diego, California in my Congressional District.
  My bill doubles the current exemption by providing a one-time 
increase to $500,000 for a single person and $1 million for a couple 
that can be excluded from the sale of a principal residence for 
taxpayers who have reached the age of 50. Because they will be able to 
keep more, an added benefit is that family members and perhaps the 
government will be relieved of the burden of caring for these 
individuals as they grow older.
  My second bill is H.R. 2126, the ``Social Security Survivors Fairness 
Act'', legislation to provide Social Security widows' and widowers' 
benefits to people under the age of 60. Many of these survivors are 
women, women who have spent their life working in the home, raising 
their children, and supporting their husbands. They currently are 
allowed to receive Social Security widows' benefits, but to qualify 
they must be 60 years old.

[[Page E898]]

  It is very difficult for many to find a job at their age if they have 
never worked outside their homes. Women in their late 50s who are 
dependent on their husbands' Social Security are left with no means of 
support if their spouses die.
  My bill would amend the Social Security Act to reduce from 60 to 55 
the age at which an individual who is otherwise eligible may be paid 
widows' or widowers' insurance benefits.
  Finally, I have introduced H.R. 2125, the ``Continued Benefits for 
Injured Military Spouses Act''. Under current law, enacted in 1982, 
former spouses of military members or retirees are eligible for 
military medical benefits and exchange and commissary privileges if the 
military member had performed at least 20 years of military service, 
had been married for at least 20 years to one spouse, and 20 years of 
marriage and service were overlapping. This is known as the 20/20/20 
restriction. Further legislation was enacted 2 years later to include 
additional former spouses under a 20/20/15 restriction.
  While this law recognizes the contribution and sacrifice of many 
military spouses who later divorced, there is a group who are 
completely left out through no fault of their own. Spouses who must 
leave a marriage through divorce due to documented abuse are often left 
with none of these benefits. Domestic violence and physical or sexual 
endangerment to the spouse or the children, proven by medical or 
counseling records, should be taken into account. Divorced because of 
this situation, the injured spouse should continue to receive benefits.
  H.R. 2125 will change the law to 20/20/10 only for these special 
circumstances, meaning that the military member would have been married 
for at least 20 years to one spouse, would have performed at least 20 
years of military service, with 10 years of service and marriage 
overlapping. This change would allow an abused spouse to escape from a 
potentially dangerous marriage and still keep benefits.
  Most of our military members are honorable and good people. But, in 
the few cases where spousal or child abuse is involved, we must protect 
the families. I invite my colleagues to join me in support of military 
spouses who have found themselves in dangerous marriages, in support of 
fairer taxes for senior citizens, and in support of widows' benefits 
for surviving spouses who are 55 and older.

                          ____________________