Lee Terry: “I rise in support of the 8,000 retirees in my district and the nearly equal number of future retirees from the railroad…”

“I rise in support of the 8,000 retirees in my district and the nearly equal number of future retirees from the railroad industry. One point that I want to make before I talk more is that this body just a few weeks ago rolled back or voted to roll back the tax on social security. The income tax on social security does not go into the Treasury, either. That is how we treat retirement plans. What this is about is fundamental fairness. Two weeks ago, Mr. Chairman, in my hometown a gentleman with an oxygen tank, very frail, very young, 55 to 60, comes up to me. He is himself a railroad retiree, and says, here is my wife. We need to pass or the Congress needs to pass railroad retirement reform so she will have her benefits when I am no longer here to support her. That is what this legislation is about in protecting those widows, those families. There are plenty of letters from widows in my area. Mrs. Lohouse, help is on the way. You should get your full benefits.”