Amy Klobuchar: “thanks to my friends from West Virginia and Indiana. I thank Mr. Donnelly for his leadership and bringing us together…”

“thanks to my friends from West Virginia and Indiana. I thank Mr. Donnelly for his leadership and bringing us together today. Minnesota, like Indiana, has so many people who are in the Central States Pension Fund. Like Senator Donnelly, I believe that promises made should be promises kept. Over 10 million Americans participate in a multiemployer pension plan and rely on those benefits for a safe and secure retirement. The Central States Pension Fund was established in 1955 to help truckers save for retirement. As Senator Donnelly knows, coming from Indiana--a State where there are a lot of truckers--there are a lot of truckers still in this pension plan. Today the Central States Pension Fund includes workers from the carhaul, tankhaul, pipeline, warehouse, construction, clerical, food processing, dairy, and trucking industries. I have heard from people all over my State. Fred, from Hibbing, worked 33 years as a bread man and serves as a caregiver for his wife who has serious back problems and was recently diagnosed with leukemia. Daniel from St. Michael worked over 41 years as a mechanic. If he were to face a reduction in his pension, he would likely be forced to sell the house he has lived in since 1973. Sue, from Elk River, wrote about her husband Jim, who retired in 1998 and passed away in 2013. Jim left Sue a spousal benefit pension that was supposed to take care of her for the rest of her life.…”