AARP Opposes Secret Attack by Congress on Retiree Pensions

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP Senior Vice President Joyce Rogers released this statement in opposition to the Kline-Miller amendment to the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015, an amendment that the Los Angeles Times says "could be a disaster" that would potentially harm millions of current retirees:

"This last minute backroom deal would, for the first time, amend the pension law to allow the earned vested benefits of retirees to be cut.  After a lifetime of hard work to earn their pensions, retirees don't deserve to receive a bad deal, in which they've had no say, cut behind closed doors and excluding the very people who would be impacted most."

In a letter sent to members of the House and Senate last week, Rogers added "[This] proposal…impairs a fundamental tenet of pension law and permits multiemployer pension plans to cut the earned and vested pension benefits of current retirees. Making significant and far-reaching changes to pension law without scrutiny of the legislative proposal and with no opportunity for debate or amendment is unacceptable. This is all the more true given that the proposal may result in a significant reduction in the modest income of millions of retirees. We urge Congress to instead consider all possible alternatives, and to allow time for adequate debate that can produce a fair and reasonable solution to the funding challenges facing a handful of multiemployer plans.

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.  A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates.  The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

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SOURCE AARP

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