The BLET National Division has been busy on Capitol Hill this week. Ongoing advocacy on behalf of its active and retired members has resulted in three major Congressional actions in recent days. These accomplishments are summarized below.
First, BLET helped secure the April 23 introduction of the bipartisan Protecting American Railroad Workers Jobs Act of 2026 (H.R. 8468). That legislation, led by Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) and Chris Pappas (D-NH), would permanently protect American railroad jobs at the southern border and would require train crew changes at the border and mandate that only U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents operate trains once they enter the United States from Mexico.
Second, the BLET lent its support to the April 21 introduction of the Railroad Retirement Fairness Act, which would eliminate an outdated provision in federal law that unfairly reduces railroad retirement payments for certain retirees and spouses who continue working in non-railroad jobs after retirement. Tier II benefits and supplemental annuity, if any, are currently reduced $1 for every $2 in earnings from a last pre-retirement nonrailroad employer, subject to a maximum reduction of 50 percent. The effort is led by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-PA) and Troy Nehls (R-TX). The proposed bill would eliminate this arbitrary and unfair “last prior employer” deduction; allow railroad retirees and their spouses to continue working in non-railroad jobs without losing earned retirement benefits; and would ensure more equal treatment for retirees regardless of where they choose to work in retirement.
Third, the BLET National Division advocated in the U.S. Senate for increased Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) funding. In an effort led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Josh Hawley (R-MO), a total of 15 Senators signed on to an April 20 letter to Senate Appropriations leaders requesting $185 million in Federal Fiscal Year 2027 funding for the RRB’s Limitation on Administration account. The $185 million represents what the RRB needs to effectively serve railroaders, and is an increase from $127 million in Federal FY 2026. A copy of the Senate letter can be read here (PDF). Earlier this month, it was reported how BLET and the Teamsters Rail Conference worked closely on a similar effort in the House with Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Chris DeLuzio (D-PA), and Don Bacon (R-NE). BLET’s efforts resulted in a bipartisan group of 81 Representatives lending their support. The letter can be read here (PDF).
As background, a lack of funding to support the RRB’s administrative functions has severely hampered the agency’s ability to operate. Current funding levels have contributed to outdated IT systems, staffing shortages, and major processing delays. The waiting period for some RRB disability claims now extends beyond 400 days. The BLET National Division finds this unacceptable and is joining with allies to increase the funding and services that RRB provides.
The proposed funding increase would allow the RRB to modernize its operations, increase staffing, and reduce application backlogs and benefit delays. The goal is to ensure that BLET members and their families receive the benefits they have earned in a timely manner. The combined effort from the House and Senate represents the most support the RRB has ever gotten from Congress, thanks to the advocacy efforts from BLET, BMWED, and the Teamsters Rail Conference.