Reader’s view: Cravaack voted to cut railroad benefits

On March 29, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to adopt Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposal for 2013. The vote was 228 Republicans voting aye to 191 Democrats and 10 Republicans voting nay. U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack, of Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, voted aye.

There are more than 5,200 railroad families in the 8th Congressional District. Congressman Cravaack voted to cut their railroad retirement annuities. The Ryan budget seems to assume taxpayer money is used to supplement railroad retirement annuities. This is far from the truth. Congressman Ryan proposes to conform Railroad Retirement Tier 1 (Social Security equivalent) to Social Security recipients. Under current law, Railroad Retirement Tier 2 benefits, funded by the railroads and employees, absorb any costs by which railroad retirement benefits exceed what Social Security would pay.

There are more than 1 million railroad families in the country (active, retired, widows and widowers) who depend on Railroad Retirement. Railroad families in the 8th Congressional District should be made aware of how Congressman Cravaack voted to cut benefits.

Thomas J. Dwyer

Coon Rapids, Minn.

The writer is president of the National Association of Retired & Veteran Railway Employees Inc.

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