[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 121 (Thursday, July 18, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   PROTECT RETIREES' EARNED PENSIONS

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, pensions have afforded millions of middle-
class Americans the opportunity to enjoy their golden years with 
economic peace of mind.
  Congress did not ensure that security for all retirees when it passed 
the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act in December 2014, attaching it to 
unrelated, must-pass legislation.
  For the past 5 years, I have listened to the anxiety of thousands of 
retirees from Ohio and across our Nation, and I have fought for a 
better solution for them.
  Next week, this body will consider the Rehabilitation for 
Multiemployer Pensions Act, better known as the Butch Lewis Act. This 
bill is long overdue and a great step toward restoring economic 
security for over 1,300,000 pensioners in our country.
  Congress can provide relief for these 1.3 million workers and 
retirees in plans running out of money through no fault of the workers. 
Many of these hardworking individuals worked 30 years or more but now, 
every day, they live with economic uncertainty, some facing drastic 
cuts, as much as 70 percent, to their earned pensions. Many of these 
individuals are too old to return to the workforce. This is criminal.
  Madam Speaker, this Congress should improve our constituents' lives. 
It is with great anticipation that next week we offer a glimmer of hope 
for millions of pensioners caught far out on the ledge of economic 
disaster. The Butch Lewis Act is overdue and a reasonable solution to 
address this multiemployer pension crisis and end the economic terror 
that affects these retirees' lives.

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