Gilbert Gutknecht: “I must say to my friend from Ohio (Mr. Portman), this is not about more computers. It is not about more people. It is…”

“I must say to my friend from Ohio (Mr. Portman), this is not about more computers. It is not about more people. It is about the IRS doing its job. I have here the dictionary definition of vested, and it says, law, settled, fixed or absolute, being without contingency, as in a vested right. What this is about, ladies and gentlemen, is forcing the IRS to finally offer us a ruling on whether or not the conversion of some of these pensions violate the age discrimination laws that we already have on the books. That does not require a new computer. That does not require more staff. It simply requires that they do what we expect them to do, and that is interpret the law the way I think most of us would say. I would say to all of my friends on either side of the aisle, could we imagine what would happen if we started tinkering with Federal employees with their vested pension rights? I might to say to some of my friends in the military, what would happen here in this very Chamber if we began to tinker with the vested rights for some of our people who serve us in the Armed Services. But that is happening right now in violation, in my opinion, of age discrimination laws, and this IRS and this administration has refused to do anything about it. This is a simple amendment. It is supported by the AARP, and, frankly, it will be supported by millions of Americans. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this amendment.”