Tom Harkin: “I rise to congratulate the Employee Benefit Research Institute on its 35th anniversary this year. As chairman of the…”

“I rise to congratulate the Employee Benefit Research Institute on its 35th anniversary this year. As chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, I know how important it is for policymakers to have access to quality data on our health and retirement systems. And for 35 years, EBRI has been providing just that kind of information. For instance, EBRI is a major source of information on how health plan coverage has evolved over the years and how employers have responded to market changes. EBRI is also a unique resource on both 401(k) and IRA ownership, and during the Enron crisis of several years ago, EBRI was one of the only sources of data on what was happening with company stock in 401(k) plans. Because of their expertise and reliability, we in Congress frequently ask EBRI's experts to testify at our hearings, since we know we can trust what they have to say. Health and retirement coverage for American families is critically important to our Nation's future. We are fortunate to have such a respected and reliable source as EBRI to tell us what is happening with employee benefits, and I commend them on their anniversary. ____________________”