Frist Pushes Pension Bill
A Washington Post story reports that Sen. Bill Frist is pressing his colleagues to pass the federal pension-reform bill. The House of Representatives passed the bill last week. Here's an excerpt:
A bill to shore up the U.S. private pension system must pass the Senate without amendments this week so it can be signed into law by President George W. Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said on Tuesday.
The Tennessee Republican said lawmakers who want to change some of the bill's provisions affecting airlines would have to find some other way to do that rather than amend the bill now.
Another:
But [Frist] also told reporters he wanted to first deal with a tax bill this week that would roll back the estate tax, extend tax cuts for education and research and raise the minimum wage. Senate Democrats have vowed to block it.
Texas senators say the pension bill passed by the House Friday does not treat all airlines the same when it comes to the time allowed to fully fund pension plans and the interest rate to calculate fund liabilities. Their concerns go to their home state carriers, American Airlines and Continental Airlines.
But any change in the pension bill means it would have to go back to the House, or return to negotiations between chambers.