ATDA News

July 09, 2024

Washington, D.C.  – In June of this year, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies proposed a funding bill for fiscal year 2025 that includes a substantial funding decrease for the Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) budget. Equating to a $26 million decrease from fiscal year 2024, the bill would significantly hamper the already-understaffed agency’s operation.

     According to RRB, this bill will result in:

• longer phone wait times (peak wait times are already 2 – 2.5 hours)
• field office closures
• longer application processing times (possibly of 18 months or more)
• indefinite delays for annuity corrections
• inability to sustain and improve the agency’s security posture against 21^st century cybersecurity threats
• inability to move forward with FRA’s multi-year IT modernization plan
• risk of failing to sustain basic operations of legacy infosystems and applications
• inability to improve program integrity, risk management programs, and the facilitation of ongoing yearly audits

The simple fact is that these cuts will harm ATDA members who pay into Railroad Retirement. In response, we encourage you to join us in fighting the bill. To do so, click HERE to submit a letter in protest, and make your voice heard. We must not allow politicians to play budgetary games with our financial future!