IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 34

Recognizing the unique effects that proposals to reform Social Security may

have on women.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 2, 1999

Ms. DELAURO (for herself, Mr. GEPHARDT, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. RANGEL, Mr.

MATSUI, Mr. STARK, Mrs. THURMAN, Ms. PELOSI, Mrs. LOWEY, Mrs.

MORELLA, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. COYNE,

Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. LEVIN, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr.

OLVER, Mr. PETRI, Mr. FILNER, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mrs. CAPPS,

Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. MEEHAN, Ms. RIVERS, Mr. KUCINICH, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. GEORGE MILLER

of California, Ms. NORTON, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. FROST, Mr. MARKEY, Mr.

HINCHEY, Mr. FORD, Ms. MCKINNEY, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. STUPAK, Ms. LEE, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Ms. JACKSON-LEE

of Texas, Mr. ALLEN, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. SLAUGHTER,

Mr. BENTSEN, Mr. BISHOP, Ms. DANNER, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr.

BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Ms.

LOFGREN, Mr. POMEROY, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. NADLER,

Mr. PALLONE, Mr. OBERSTAR, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Mr. WYNN,

Mr. WEXLER, Mr. VENTO, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. SHERMAN,

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. DIXON, Mr. MANZULLO,

Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. GOODE, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO ́, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY,

Ms. ESHOO, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. LANTOS, Mr.

BERMAN, Mr. HILL of Indiana, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mr.

DEFAZIO, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. SHOWS, Ms. STABENOW,

Mr. LAMPSON, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. WATERS, and Mr.

HILLIARD) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Ways and Means
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•HRES 34 IH

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the unique effects that proposals to reform

Social Security may have on women.

Whereas the Social Security benefit structure is of particular

importance to low-earning wives and widows, with 63

percent of women beneficiaries aged 62 or older receiving

wife’s or widow’s benefits;

Whereas three-quarters of unmarried and widowed elderly

women rely on Social Security for over half of their income;

Whereas without Social Security benefits, the elderly poverty

rate among women would have been 52.2 percent and

among widows would have been 60.6 percent;

Whereas women tend to live longer and tend to have lower

lifetime earnings than men do;

Whereas women spend an average of 11.5 years out of their

careers to care for their families, and are more likely to

work part-time than full-time; and

Whereas during these years in the workforce, women earn an

average of 70 cents for every dollar men earn: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog2 nizes the unique obstacles that women face in ensuring

3 retirement security and survivor and disability stability

4 and the essential role that Social Security plays in guaran5 teeing inflation-protected financial stability for women

6 throughout their entire old age, and it is the sense of the

7 House of Representatives that the Congress and the Presi-
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•HRES 34 IH

1 dent should take these factors into account when consider2 ing proposals to reform the Social Security system.

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