CLEVELAND, December 5 — Members of the United States Senate this morning voted 90-9 in favor of the Railroad Retirement and Survivors’ Improvement Act of 2001.
More details will come when available.
BLE International President Don M. Hahs offered congratulations and thanks to all active and retired BLE and GIA members who were so diligent in their efforts to lobby the Senate to pass this much-needed legislation. He also congratulated all BLE lobbyists who worked on Capitol Hill to secure passage of the bill, and to the entire Rail Labor Coalition.
Yesterday, the Senate overturned attempts by opposition Senators to derail the legislation by attaching “killer” amendments to it.
Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) attempted to add an amendment (#2202) that would have changed the “scoring” of the bill, and would have spelled doom for H.R. 10. However, the measure was defeated 59-40.
In addition, Senator Don Nickels (R-OK) offered two amendments, which would have adjusted payroll taxes. Both amendments were defeated, the first 72-27 and the second 78-21.
Lastly, Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) offered amendment #2198, which would have tied increases in Railroad Retirement benefits to return on investment of the fund. It was voted down 78-21.
On July 31, a huge bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives voted 384-33 to approve its version of the bill, H.R. 1140.