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Members of Congress Share Award WASHINGTON (6 March 2002) - IEEE-USA honored six members of Congress for strengthening the U.S. pension and retirement savings system at a Capitol Hill ceremony on Wednesday. Reps. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) and Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) joined Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and James Jeffords (I-Vt.) as recipients of the 2001 IEEE-USA Award for Distinguished Public Service. They were cited "for untiring efforts and effective leadership in successful Congressional action to strengthen America's private pension system and increase individual savings for retirement." Portman, Cardin and Pomeroy attended the ceremony and spoke highly of IEEE-USA's role in building support for retirement plan improvements. Portman cited Vin O'Neill, IEEE-USA's senior legislative representative for career activities, and called him to the podium. Grassley and Jeffords sent staff members. The award recognizes the congressmen's leadership in passing the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. The law raises contribution limits for IRAs and workplace retirement plans, reduces vesting standards, improves the portability of earned benefits when workers change jobs, and expands pension coverage by making it easier for small businesses to establish retirement savings plans. These provisions have been a high public-policy priority of IEEE-USA since the organization was established in 1973. IEEE-USA presidents Ned Sauthoff (2001) and LeEarl Bryant (2002) presented the awards. "It is a privilege to present these distinguished public-service honors to the members of Congress who have contributed greatly to strengthening all of America's private pension system," Bryant said. "Their leadership efforts will improve retirement quality of life for not only engineers, but all Americans." The ceremony included IEEE-USA's 32-member delegation in town for the Science, Engineering and Technology Congressional Visits Day. The annual two-day event is designed to underscore the long-term national importance of science, engineering and technology through meetings with congressional decision makers. IEEE-USA had the largest delegation this year. Go to www.agiweb.org/cvd/ for more information. IEEE-USA is an organizational unit of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers created in 1973 to promote the careers and public-policy interests of the more than 230,000 electrical, electronics, computer and software engineers who are U.S. members of the IEEE. The IEEE is the world's largest technical professional society. For more information, go to www.ieeeusa.org. 1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 1202 Washington, DC 20036-5104 Phone: 202-785-0017, Fax: 202-785-0835.
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