House Resolution 29 - Introduced PAG LIN H.R. ________ S.R. ________ 1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 1 2 BY HEATON, HEDDENS, MASCHER, HUNTER, 1 3 STECKMAN, THEDE, WENDT, WESSEL=KROESCHELL, 1 4 ALONS, KOESTER, PETERSEN, SODERBERG, T. OLSON, 1 5 BAUDLER, UPMEYER, and L. MILLER 1 6 A Resolution urging the United States Congress to take 1 7 action to shorten the almost two=year delay in 1 8 resolving claims for Social Security disability 1 9 benefits. 1 10 WHEREAS, 7.2 million Americans collect Social 1 11 Security disability benefits because of a medical 1 12 condition that prevents them from working for at least 1 13 one year; and 1 14 WHEREAS, more than 2.5 million Americans file 1 15 disability claims with the federal Social Security 1 16 Administration each year and then wait, often unable 1 17 to work; and 1 18 WHEREAS, nationally, the average wait for an 1 19 administrative law judge's decision on disability 1 20 benefits has now stretched to 502 days, compared with 1 21 258 days in 2000; and 1 22 WHEREAS, it is clear that a large part of the 1 23 problem is that the federal Social Security 1 24 Administration is underfunded, with Congress 1 25 appropriating an average of $150 million less than the 1 26 president requested each year since 2001; NOW 1 27 THEREFORE, 1 28 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 1 29 That the House of Representatives calls upon the 1 30 United States Congress to take action to shorten the 2 1 almost two=year delay in resolving claims for Social 2 2 Security disability benefits; and 2 3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon passage of this 2 4 resolution, suitable copies of the resolution shall be 2 5 transmitted to the members of Iowa's congressional 2 6 delegation and the President of the United States. 2 7 LSB 1670YH 83 2 8 jr/nh/5