PRINTER'S NO. 904
No. 65 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY SCHWARTZ, BELAN, COSTA, STAPLETON, BOSCOLA,
O'PAKE, LAVALLE, WAGNER, KASUNIC, STOUT, KUKOVICH, MELLOW,
KITCHEN, WILLIAMS, WOZNIAK, MUSTO, BODACK, HUGHES, FUMO AND
TARTAGLIONE, APRIL 16, 1999
REFERRED TO INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, APRIL 16, 1999
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the President and Congress to work to strengthen
2 the Social Security system.
3 WHEREAS, For over 60 years, Social Security's retirement,
4 disability and survivors benefits have kept generations of
5 Americans out of poverty and have provided a secure base for
6 middle class retirement; and
7 WHEREAS, Nearly 44 million American receive benefits under
8 the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) programs
9 that comprise Social Security, including 30 million elderly
10 retirees and their dependents, 6 million disabled workers and
11 their dependents and more than 7 million survivors of deceased
12 workers, with children accounting for more than 3 million of
13 those receiving OASDI benefits; and
14 WHEREAS, Many Americans will depend on Social Security's
15 guaranteed retirement benefits and insurance protections to
16 provide 50% or more of their income: one in four older Americans
17 rely on Social Security for at least 90% of his or her income,
1 and three in five depend on it for at least half of their
2 income; and
3 WHEREAS, The upcoming retirement of the baby boom generation
4 will significantly affect Social Security's finances: by 2013,
5 total benefits paid will begin to exceed Social Security payroll
6 taxes; by 2021, total benefits paid will begin to exceed the sum
7 of payroll tax revenues and the Social Security Trust Fund's
8 interest earnings; and by 2032, the Social Security Trust Fund
9 will be exhausted and Social Security payroll taxes will cover
10 only 75% of Social Security benefits; and
11 WHEREAS, The President of the United States and members of
12 Congress have declared that action must be taken now to protect
13 the future of Social Security and have proposed different
14 approaches to reform Social Security which will have varying
15 consequences on the Social Security system and its
16 beneficiaries; therefore be it
17 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
18 memorialize the President of the United States and Congress to
19 work to strengthen the finances of Social Security so that
20 Social Security's central role in family income protections not
21 to be compromised; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That Social Security's benefit structure should
23 remain universal and portable, guaranteeing monthly benefits
24 that provide a decent income and are adjusted to keep up with
25 inflation for as long as a person lives; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That Social Security must continue to provide risk-
27 free disability insurance protection for workers and their
28 dependents, survivors insurance for spouses and children of
29 deceased workers and benefits for those adults with severe
30 disabilities who are dependents or survivors of their parents,
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1 and these crucial insurance functions must continue without
2 harmful benefit reductions; and be it further
3 RESOLVED, That beneficiaries who earned higher wages during
4 their work life should continue to receive benefits related to
5 their earnings history, and Social Security should continue to
6 replace a larger share of low-income workers' past earnings as a
7 protections against poverty; and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That the impact of changes in the Social Security
9 system must not fall disproportionately on lower income groups,
10 or on those whose work life has been physically demanding. Any
11 changes should not make the financing of Social Security any
12 less progressive; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That raising the age at which people can collect
14 benefits is the equivalent of a benefit cut, with especially
15 onerous impacts on those in physically challenging jobs or on
16 groups with lower life expectancy; and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That basic benefit protections for women, who have
18 lower lifetime earnings and more work force absences because of
19 care giving for children, parents or spouses should be preserved
20 and strengthened; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That while Social Security should continue as the
22 foundation of our social insurance and retirement system, we
23 also need new policies to encourage employers to provide good
24 pensions and to spur private savings. But this should be done in
25 addition to, rather than at the expense of, the existing Social
26 Security benefit structure; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That private accounts should not be substituted for
28 Social Security's current defined benefits. Diversion of Social
29 Security tax revenues to pay for private investment accounts
30 makes the projected long term Social Security financing problems
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1 more severe, forcing deep benefit cuts or higher payroll taxes,
2 or both. Social Security benefits should not be subject to
3 market fluctuations; and be it further
4 RESOLVED, Any Federal budget surplus should first be used to
5 save Social Security; and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
7 the President of the United States and to the members of
8 Congress from Pennsylvania.
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