mr. speaker , in texas , gray skies could mean a twister , a hurricane , or just a lot of rain . 
to avoid disaster , we want a reliable weather forecast . 
the same when we go to the doctor , a diagnosis before taking necessary action . 
and the same should also be true of our economic health . 
families that work hard to earn a pension depend on it for retirement security . 
but too many suddenly find that their pension funds are drained , denying them of the dignified and comfortable retirement for which they have worked a lifetime . 
in addition to the many other problems identified here today by my democratic ways and means colleagues , this bill lacks a pension disclosure requirement that would empower workers to understand just how strong or weak their pension plans really are . 
having to wait until a retirement fund 's bankruptcy is announced in the newspaper is a little too late for employees to take any remedial action to be able to protect themselves . 
both the government accountability office and the pension benefit guaranty corporation recommend that employees be provided information far beyond the provisions of this bill . 
i think it is important that we not leave the employees in the dark with corporate employers blocking the light switch . 
a majority of the house voted to allow the federal government to comb through library records yesterday . 
why can employees not be allowed full access to their own pension information today ? 
