[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22189]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2003

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, the enactment of the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) was an important step toward 
protecting retirement benefits for millions of American workers. Over 
the years, ERISA has developed into a complex legislative framework. 
Congress regularly revisits this important area of law in a effort to 
perfect it.
  In its efforts, Congress may be making it better as it seeks to 
enhance the protections provided to many workers and their 
beneficiaries, but this is not without added complexity. For those of 
us who are not comfortable making casual conversation on such topics as 
actuarial assumptions and technical funding rules we have valued the 
service EBRI has provided over these many years. EBRI is a nonpartisan 
research organization that specializes in employee benefits. It 
collects and analyzes the relevant data and make it available in a 
format that is easily understood by all of us.
  The service EBRI provides is invaluable. Many of us in Congress find 
it particularly useful because of the balanced format in which the 
information is presented. This makes the information EBRI distributes 
acceptable by all sides in the debate. In addition, it provides a 
common base of knowledge that helps us evaluate conflicting proposals.
  EBRI has now been doing this important work for a quarter of a 
century. As EBRI celebrates its 25th anniversary, I want to take this 
opportunity to wish the valuable organization well. It is my hope that 
they keep these analyses coming. We will need them more than ever in 
the months ahead.

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