Joe Donnelly: “I thank my colleague from Michigan, who has so many teamster members who travel back and forth across our respective…”

“I thank my colleague from Michigan, who has so many teamster members who travel back and forth across our respective borders every day, who ride some of the most difficult and dangerous roads in the world, who, on a constant basis, are helping families who may be in trouble on the road, who are helping others whom they see along the way. They are not only professional drivers and other Teamster members; they are people who keep a sharp eye out for others in order to help them if they are in trouble. They keep an eye on every family who is out there on the road and on their fellow drivers. They make America go. So many auto parts from the Senator's State of Michigan come down to my State of Indiana. So many parts go from my State to his State of Michigan to create jobs, to make America go. We want to tell all of those workers: This is your capital. This is your government. We are the hired help. We work for you. It is our obligation to fix this because promises were made. President Harry Truman promised our mine workers that their pensions would be protected and that their healthcare would be protected. Those mine workers went down underground and powered our economy and powered our war efforts in World War II, in Korea, in Vietnam. They were there to ensure that when our men and women were overseas, they would have what they needed. Promises were made. It is our obligation to keep them for the Central States Pension Fund and for other pension programs.…”