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What You Should Know About The Notch
You may have heard people talk about the “Notch” issue. You could be the son or daughter of a “Notch baby” or the friend of one. It might seem to our members that this issue has been “around a long time.” By reading this section, you will have a better understanding of the “Notch” and how it has fared on Capitol Hill. The “Notch” arose in 1977, when Social Security was close to bankruptcy. Legislation enacted that same year changed the way benefits were calculated. But the benefit formula was flawed, and retirees born in the ten-year period of 1917 through 1926 receive substantially lower benefit amounts than those retirees born before or after them. When representing these amounts on a chart, the disparity forms a deep “V” notch. TSCL has long supported Notch reform legislation to compensate those individuals born in the Notch years for the lower benefits they have been receiving. When was the first Notch legislation proposed in Congress? According to a search in the Library of Congress’ Thomas database, the first Notch legislation was introduced in the 97th Congress (1981-1982). During that legislative session, there were five bills before Congress. How many bills have been proposed? Again, according to a search in Thomas, since the 97th Congress, there have been 93 bills relating to the Notch. The heaviest concentration of bill introduction was in the late 1980s to early 1990s. This number includes original bills and resolutions, but not amendments thereto. How many bills actually got to a vote, and when? The most recent vote on the Notch issue occurred in the Senate on March 25, 1999, with an amendment approved by voice vote in the Senate. The vote was on a Sense of the Senate that stated that the 1977 Social Security Amendments altered the way Social Security benefits were calculated and that these changes resulted in a disparity that results in lower benefits for retirees born in the years 1917-1926. In 1992, the Senate agreed, once again by voice vote, to establish a Social Security Notch Fairness Investigatory Commission (S.Amdt.2975 to H.R.5488). It should be noted, as well, that several other bills -- even though they didn’t necessarily get voted upon -- gained substantial support in Congress. For example, H.R.917 in the 102nd Congress -- introduced by Congressman Edward Roybal -- had 289 cosponsors. Do most of these bills die in committee? The votes that have occurred to date have been in the Senate and have bypassed committee action. On at least two occasions, a House member has initiated a discharge petition, which would bring the bill to the Floor without committee action. This is a legitimate legislative maneuver to move a bill if a committee chairman is indisposed to doing so. Other action has included a Senate hearing, S.Hrg. 106-20 part 1 (S.390, introduced by Senator Harry Reid in the 106th Congress) and request for executive comment, as in the case of S.Con.Res.62, introduced by Senator Mattingly in the 98th Congress. TREA Senior Citizens League continues its fight on behalf of Notch babies and in defending other earned benefits for seniors. We are working toward a solution for current Notch babies, but also want to ensure that a new generation of Notch babies is not “born” when Social Security is once again reformed. January 2004 | ||||||||
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