Message to the Congress
Transmitting the Annual Report of the Railroad Retirement Board
To
the Congress of the
I
hereby submit to the Congress the Annual Report of the Railroad Retirement
Board for Fiscal Year 1985, pursuant to the provisions of Section 7(b)(6) of
the Railroad Retirement Act, enacted October 16, 1974, and Section 12(1) of the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, enacted June 25, 1938.
The
Railroad Retirement Board's chief actuary informs me he anticipates cash-flow
problems in the rail industry pension fund, and states that ``an upward
adjustment in financing can no longer be regarded as premature.'' Refinancing
legislation enacted in 1974, 1981, and 1983 has been required to prevent the
rail pension fund from going broke three times in the last decade, and
significant, constant declines in rail employment levels continue to
deteriorate rail pension assets. With yet another financial crisis threatening
the pension fund's ability to pay railroad retirees' benefits, the
Administration agrees with the Board's chief actuary, Board Chairman Gielow, and Board Member Chamberlain that measures are
needed now to forestall financing problems. I therefore concur with Mr.
Chamberlain that raising rail management pension contributions 1.5% on
Ronald
Reagan
The
White House,