mr. speaker , i rise today in opposition to h.r. 2830 . 
i am old enough to remember a time when everyone on my block in the glen park section of gary , indiana had a pension . 
the defined benefit pension system today , which protects the retirement security of over 44 million workers , retirees , and their families , is at a critical juncture . 
the number of defined benefit plans has declined from over 100 , 000 in 1985 to under 32 , 000 in 2004 . 
while the number of active workers covered by such plans has dropped from over 40 million to under 20 million , an additional 20 million retirees depend on defined benefit plans for their retirement security . 
both the congressional budget office and the pension benefit guaranty corporation have found that h.r. 2830 will add billions more to the pbgc 's already mounting deficit . 
according to the cbo , this legislation would increase the pbgc 's deficit by $ 9 billion dollars over the next ten years . 
the pbgc is already facing a deficit of $ 23 billion and could face additional liabilities of up to $ 100 billion in the near future . 
in the five years leading up to the closings of ltv and bethlehem steel , steel companies in north america were filing for bankruptcy in record numbers , using the bankruptcy courts to break their contractual obligations and impose cuts or outright elimination of jobs , benefits , pensions and wages of steelworkers . 
in 2000 , ltv steel filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy for protection from its creditors , including its obligations to its pension plan . 
in 2002 , ltv filed section 7 bankruptcy , which liquidated its assets . 
today 's legislation would put additional pressure on an agency that is already picking up the slack because corporate america has used them as a dumping ground . 
in addition , h.r. 2830 does not ensure fair treatment between workers and executives . 
the bill permits ceos to receive executive golden parachutes at the same time employees are suffering deep cuts in their promised retirement benefits . 
under h.r. 2830 , if an employer does not fund its pension plan above 80 percent , then workers can not receive any increases in benefits or take a lump sum at retirement . 
no similar restriction is imposed on executives . 
if an employer does not fund above 60 percent , then the workers ' plan must be frozen with no new benefits allowed to accrue . 
only at 60 percent are employers prohibited from transferring funds to executive compensation . 
however , employers can get around this prohibition and make promises of future benefits to in closing mr. speaker , i urge my colleagues to oppose h.r. 2830 . 
according to cbo , h.r. 2830 would increase the federal deficit by over $ 70 billion from 2006-2015 . 
it contains a variety of unoffset tax incentives for corporate america that will not secure the pension of the hardworking men and women who are making our steel , mining our coal , building our homes , and flying our airplanes . 
congress owes working americans more . 
