House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives
Republicans
Rep. Howard P. “Buck†McKeon
Ranking Member
Fiscally responsible reforms for students, workers and retirees.
Labor Issues
Retirement Security
Retirement security is at the top of the Republican agenda. The continuing decline of the defined benefit pension system, Americans' savings losses amid the current financial downturn, and the ongoing fallout from the 2002 corporate collapses at employers such as Enron and WorldCom have made pension and retirement savings reform among the most important issues in Congress.
In 2006, Republicans led efforts to enact the first comprehensive overhaul of worker pension laws in more than a generation. The pension laws on the books had been written for a 1970s economy with a 1970s workforce. Times have changed, but these laws had not.
The bipartisan pension overhaul takes unprecedented steps to fix broken pension rules that no longer serve the interests of workers who count on their retirement savings being there for them when they need it. It includes tough new funding requirements to ensure employers adequately and consistently fund their pension plans, provides workers with meaningful disclosure about the financial status of their benefits, and protects taxpayers from a possible multi-billion dollar bailout of the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).
In addition to these efforts to strengthen retirement security for U.S. workers and retirees, Committee Republicans and Democrats also struck a bipartisan agreement in 2006 to improve programs and services under the Older Americans Act – the major federal law governing the organization and delivery of a wide array of social services for elderly Americans. The agreement increases program accountability, strengthens efforts to prevent elder abuse, and enhances services that can improve the quality of life for aging Americans.
In the 111th Congress, Committee Republicans will work to build upon these historic reforms. Particularly with the anxiety American families are facing in the current economy, Republicans will work to enact policies that will help American families protect and rebuild their hard-earned savings, from college funds to retirement accounts and everything in between.
Press Releases
Kline Highlights New Venue for Americans to Speak Out on Education and Workplace Issues (May 25, 2010)
GOP Savings Solutions Group Warns Against Plan to Federalize Workers’ 401(k)s (May 4, 2010)
House Education and Labor Committee Republican Website Receives Gold Mouse Award (April 21, 2010)
Please click here for more Press Releases
Member Views
McKeon op-ed in The Washington Examiner on GOP Solutions to Help Americans Rebuild Their Savings (April 21, 2009)
McKeon op-ed in Roll Call: Pension Protection Act Streamlines Retirements (February 11, 2008)
McKeon op-ed in Roll Call: Retirement Security Enters a New Era (February 12, 2007)
Fact Sheets
401(k) Fair Disclosure & Pension Security Act (H.R. 2989) (July 30, 2009)
Dear Colleagues
Wall Street Journal, Washington Post Editorials Warn Against Government Pitting Retiree vs. Retiree (May 21, 2009)
Committee Statements
Price Statement: Legislative Hearing on H.R. 3721, the "Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act" (May 5, 2010)
Price Statement: Hearing on “Examining the Delphi Bankruptcy’s Impact on Workers and Retirees” (December 2, 2009)
Kline Statement: Markup of H.R. 2989, the 401(k) Fair Disclosure and Pension Security Act of 2009 (June 24, 2009)
