[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 162 (Tuesday, October 15, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5783-S5784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Pensions

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise on behalf of nearly 25,000 workers 
and retirees in Wisconsin who have paid into the Central States Pension 
Fund.
  It has been 3\1/2\ years since the Treasury Department denied an 
application by the Central States Pension Fund to slash pensions that 
had already been earned by thousands of plan members. In that time, 
retirees have organized at home. They have called on their Members of 
Congress. They have also come to Washington countless times--all to 
remind us of the promises they were made when they earned their 
pensions and to fight for a solution to this looming crisis.

[[Page S5784]]

  I have been proud to work side by side with Wisconsin workers and 
retirees and with Senator Brown to introduce the Butch Lewis Act. This 
legislation will put failing multiemployer pension plans, including 
Central States, back on solid ground, and it does so without cutting 
the pensions retirees have earned.
  (The remarks of Ms. Baldwin pertaining to the introduction of S. 2598 
are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Ms. BALDWIN. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise today as well to talk about 
pensions, as so many of my colleagues have been--and not just talking 
about but acting to advance legislation with regard to pensions.
  As we have heard today--and we will keep saying this because it bears 
repeating--pensions are a promise. They are a promise of a secure 
retirement. When a worker enters into that promise with a company, when 
the Federal Government is involved, we have to make sure we keep the 
promise to workers, just as we did a couple of years ago, after a lot 
of hard work, to make sure healthcare was there for coal miners who 
were retired.
  Pensions are an issue that both Houses of Congress have a 
responsibility to act on.
  The House passed the Butch Lewis Act 3 months ago, but like a lot of 
legislation that has come from the House, it is sitting in the Senate 
day after day, week after week and in this case 3 months--3 months--
since passage in the House. It is time for the U.S. Senate to have a 
vote on the Butch Lewis Act.
  In Pennsylvania, and I know this is true of several other States, we 
are talking about coal miners, teamsters, bakery and confectionary 
workers who, through no fault of their own, are seeing their hard-
earned pensions threatened. Failure to act could result in devastating 
economic consequences across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and 
across our Nation.
  Just think about it this way, in terms of Pennsylvania: One estimate 
has it that over 60,000 pensions--60,000--including 11,831 coal miners, 
21,460 teamsters as part of that larger number--could be at risk.
  Despite the challenges ahead, the good news is, we have bipartisan 
legislation that I mentioned a moment ago, the Butch Lewis Act, which 
passed the House 3 months ago.
  Senator Brown of Ohio and others have worked hard to make sure this 
effort on pensions is in front of the agenda in the Senate.
  The Butch Lewis Act will create a loan program for troubled pensions. 
It is a commonsense solution that brings the public sector and the 
private sector together to address this looming crisis for workers.
  We must also pass legislation so we can address the coal miners' 
healthcare and coal miners' pension crises. Senator Manchin from West 
Virginia has shown great leadership in this process over many years.
  We also owe thanks to the Members of the U.S. Senate Democratic 
caucus. Few, if any, have coal miners in their States, but because of a 
concerted effort in the Democratic caucus, we have made coal miners and 
their healthcare and retirements and their pensions a priority. Those 
Democratic Senators stood with Senators like me from States that have a 
large number of retired coal miners because it is the right thing to 
do. Those Democratic Senators know it is the right thing to do. Some 
Republican Senators do as well.
  It is the right thing to do because, as I started with, pensions are 
a promise, and we have to make sure we keep our promise to those 
workers.
  Thousands of Pennsylvania families are counting on us, and many more 
thousands of American families across the board outside of Pennsylvania 
are counting on us to keep our promise on pensions and to make sure we 
continue to fight until that promise is kept to our workers and to 
their families.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CASSIDY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. McSally). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.