madam speaker , this bill proves that the republicans are not just after poor people .  this pension bill boils down to one fundamental principle : the republicans want all americans , including flight attendants and everybody else out there on a pension , to be entirely alone , isolated from the strength and compassion of american values .  i am here to say that this pension bill that forces elderly americans into solitary confinement is abusive , irresponsible and morally bankrupt .  this whole year has been about doing it to people .  get rid of social security , privatize it , put them on their own .  medicare : privatize it , put them on their own .  now we have the pension bill : privatize it , put them on their own .  take away the union benefit , how will they do it ?  they are going to boeing .  they squeeze boeing tight , and boeing flips into 401 ( k ) , and there goes the pension down the drain .  now this raises the question , what is wrong with you people ?  we decided a long time ago in this country that there was strength in numbers .  we had to do things together .  that is why social security was developed .  that is why medicare was developed .  the republican vision articulated in this bill is that america is a sinking ship , and the shout is for every man and woman , you are on your own .  they call it an ownership society .  you will still have a pension ; it will be a 401 ( k ) .  but it really is , you are on your own .  if you can figure out the market , good luck , baby .  there are not enough lifeboats in the water , and we know that , and everybody is jumping off the ship .  in 1980 , 40 percent of employers provided a pension .  today , only 20 percent do .  now , that is a 50 percent reduction in 20 years , and the pensions that are provided , fewer provide a guaranteed benefit than they used to get .  so what do we have left ?  the stark fact is that half of america 's retirees have less than $ 15 , 000 income .  imagine living in the united states on $ 15 , 000 after working for 45 years .  only 50 percent of american households have retirement savings at all , but if they do not have a benefit from the pension and their social security , which has not been ripped away from them , they got nothing .  now , half of the households who have savings have an average $ 385 a month .  so they get their social security , $ 1 , 800 a month at the maximum , and $ 385 , oh , they are living fat on $ 2 , 000 a month .  the people without any savings are disproportionately poor , have nothing except social security , and the republicans , as i say , tried to take that away earlier in the year .  we beat them on that , and we should beat them on this .  this is the definition of financial freedom that republicans want for americans : they want riskier pensions and no way for anybody to be sure of anything .  i urge my colleagues to vote no on this .  