Political Quotes

“Madam President, I thank Senators Manchin and Stabenow for joining us today. Senators Baldwin and Casey will come later to shine a light on the more than 1 million workers and retirees across this country who are on the verge of facing massive cuts to the pensions they have earned. I want to thank the workers and retirees who are in Washington this week. You will see teamsters, sheet metal workers, mine workers, carpenters, ironworkers, bakers and confectioners--retirees, mostly-- who have earned this retirement but because of an action in this body, simply haven't had that retirement promise fulfilled. They are demanding that Congress honor the dignity of their work and honor the promise of those pensions. The crisis affects thousands in my State of Ohio and affects the massive Central States pension plan, the United Mine Workers pension plan, the Ironworkers Local 17 pension plan, the Southwest Ohio carpenters pension plan, the bakers and confectioners pension plan, and others in every State in this country. We are talking about our entire multiemployer pension system. If it collapses, it won't be just the retirees who will feel the pain. Current workers will be stuck paying into pensions they will never receive, and small businesses will be left drowning in pension liability they cannot afford to pay. It will have ripple effects throughout our economy. Let's be clear. If we do nothing, this could trigger a recession perhaps on par with the housing crisis.…”