The House Republicans have proposed a -$24 million (20%) cut to the Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) budget for FY2025.
This would be cataclysmic for the agency, which is already dealing with severe funding issues. For reference, the RRB Board Members requested a budget of $172 million for this year in order to meet mission critical standards.
Call wait times have already ballooned due to last year’s cuts to the RRB’s budget. Sickness and disability claims now take up to 18 months to process (vs. usual 2-3 months). Everything at the Board is taking longer because they’ve had to lay off staff and close field offices over the last few years.
What’s more, the agency is funded from OUR railroad retirement tax dollars. Not one penny comes from general U.S. Treasury tax dollars. OUR trust is solvent, and the money is OURS, so FUND the RRB at the level they requested.
Railroaders deserve better.