mr. speaker , i rise in strong opposition to the pension protection act of 2005 .  this act does not protect the american worker .  in fact , this bill places the future of today 's american worker in jeopardy .  even worse , this bill places those who have put in the years and worked hard at the mercy of bad management decisions .  furthermore , pensions are a financial safety net that many americans and businesses pay into .  pension programs are an important factor when workers choose a job and it plays a large part in financial planning .  many people go their entire career thinking they will have this money upon retirement and regularly contribute even when they could use the money to take their family on vacation or buy their children clothes .  instead , they place earnings into their pensions as much in the short run as they will need in the future .  pension plans are as much about personal responsibility as they are about good financial planning .  the american worker 's pension should not be a pawn for businesses to navigate bankruptcy .  i am especially concerned about the adverse affect this bill has on women .  as a member on the aviation subcommittee and a frequent flyer , i have worked for years with airlines and flight attendants .  many , many airline employees are women .  many of those women are single mothers .  without a guaranteed source of retirement income , it is almost impossible for these women to stay in the employ of the airlines -- and worse yet , many of these women have already put in years of hard work and have already lost upwards of 75 percent of their pensions .  mr. speaker , my office has received a towering pile of heartbreaking letters from people whose pensions have been lost .  how do we as members of congress tell these people that after all these years of paying into a pension -- working toward a retirement -- they have to make other plans for their golden years .  we have an opportunity to do some real good .  we have an opportunity to strengthen the commitment between the employers and workers , however this bill further drives a wedge between the two .  vote no against this bill today and let us pledge to come back during the second session of the 109th congress and do this right .  we owe it to the american people to take their financial future as seriously as they do .  vote no on the pension protection act of 2005 .  