Hinojosa Fights for Texas Teachers on the House Floor

Hinojosa Fights for Texas Teachers on the House Floor

February 11, 2004 -

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) today will vote against HR 743, legislation that will force Texas teachers and other public servants out of their service five years early in order to collect Social Security benefits.

Hinojosa delivered the following statement on the Floor of the House Chamber prior to the vote:

I rise today on behalf of the teachers in the State of Texas in strong opposition to this legislation.

HR 743 turns a one-day loophole, which was a minor inconvenience, into a 5-year career deterrent. My office is flooded with letters from justifiably concerned teachers that do not want to be forced out of the classroom even one day earlier than when they are ready.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know if the supporters of this bill are aware of the teaching shortage crippling our education system. Clearly they are not, or they would not support the legislation before us today. They would not force teachers in Texas and Georgia to choose between retirement benefits and a career educating our children. If my colleagues were aware of these critical shortages, they would have surely stripped this provision from the legislation when they had an opportunity to do so almost a year ago.

If they were aware of the growing teacher-student ratios in public schools, they would definitely honor our teachers with the retirement benefits they deserve by repealing the WEP and GPO by passing HR 594. This bill, with 285 bipartisan cosponsors, would end this inequity not only for Texas teachers, but for government employees throughout the country.

In 2002, 376,000 public servants had their Social Security spousal benefits affected by the GPO. Forty percent of these were widows and widowers, and 73 percent were women. These are hard-working people who are relying on full spousal benefits to live comfortably in their retirement. Many Learn of the GPO when it is too late to change their retirement plans.

Yesterday, my office had the pleasure of speaking with Mrs. Carolyn Martin, a librarian at Gregory-Portland High School in Portland, Texas. Mrs. Martin was understandably concerned about her own future, but much more focused on the future of a teacher at her school who recently lost her husband over the holidays. This teacher has two children in college and, if HR 743 passes, will not be able to collect her widow's benefits under social security if she wants to stay in the classroom.

Mrs. Martin characterized the issue best - she said that social security "is the difference between a minimal standard of living and a dog-food diet" in retirement. She was outraged, as am I, "that millionaires can collect social security in this country, but not Texas teachers."

Mr. Speaker, I implore my colleagues to consider the consequences of the vote today. Do not sentence Texas teachers to a "dog-food diet,"- Vote against HR 743.

If the bill passes, it will go to the White House where President Bush is expected to sign it into law.