Legalization of illegal immigrants under “guest worker” legislation would cost the federal government a whopping $54 billion over the next ten years alone. That startling cost estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is one of the only publicly available documents to calculate the high cost of pending “guest worker” immigration legislation. By coincidence, that’s exactly double the amount that TSCL estimates it would cost to provide Notch Reform benefits.
Over the years Notch babies, and TSCL, have been frequently told that the cost of providing Notch Reform benefits is too high. Are we to believe that illegal immigrants are somehow more deserving?
Sign TSCL's Petition to Congress Protesting Illegal Alien Amnesty 'Guest Worker' Legislation and U.S. Social Security Totalization With Mexico
Sign TSCL's Social Security Notch Victim Constituent Petition
We remind Members of Congress that the interests of U.S. senior citizens who vote in large numbers are not to be taken lightly. Notch Babies formed the bulk of the U.S. fighting forces during Word War II. After the war, those same Notch Babies raised families and paid taxes toward their retirements throughout their careers. Later, just a few years before they retired, seniors born from 1917 through 1926 “paid the price” of saving Social Security when the program was going broke in the late 1970’s. Congress enacted changes to the Social Security benefit formula that cut retirement benefits.
Although some reduction in benefits was anticipated, benefits dropped much more abruptly and significantly than anticipated. A transitional benefit formula provided by Congress to phase in the changes failed, while high inflation contributed to the significant disparities. Notch Babies receive substantially lower benefits than other retirees with almost identical work and earnings records. According to an analysis by Advisor editor Mary Johnson, a few days difference in birth meant that Notch babies received Social Security benefits that can be on average from $1,000 to $3,000 a year lower than those of other retirees with similar earnings records.
More than 102 Members of the U.S. House, however, believe the time has come to correct the Notch by signing on as co-sponsors of “The Notch Fairness Act” (H.R. 615) introduced by Representative Ralph Hall (TX). This legislation would provide Notch Babies, or survivors who receive benefits on their account, a choice of a $5,000 lump-sum payable in four annual installments or a higher monthly benefit. Congressman Hall tells us that he’s hopeful for passage of “The Notch Fairness Act” this year.
Won’t you help make this happen? Click here to see if your Representative co-sponsors Notch Reform: http://www.tscl.org/action/listcosponsors.asp?code=HR615.
If not, click here to send an email asking him or her to co-sponsor “The Notch Fairness Act”: http://www.tscl.org/action/guidetocontactingcongress.asp.
Source: Cost Estimate of S. 2611, Congressional Budget Office, May 16, 2006.
August 2006
