Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., unveiled Thursday the American Savings Act, legislation that would give workers without access to a retirement plan at work the ability to save through an American Savings Account, modeled on accounts offered to federal employees and Congress.
"It shouldn't matter whether you work part time or full time, as an employee or as a contractor, or for a huge corporation or a tiny business: every American worker deserves access to a financially secure retirement," Merkley said in introducing the bill. "With private-sector pensions becoming rarer and rarer, Social Security and retirement savings are more important to retirement security than ever, which is exactly why we must strengthen Social Security and expand high-quality retirement savings options to all workers."
The bill will likely be referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP).
He said the new type of savings plans would be "universal, portable, simple and personal" and that if a workers' employer doesn't offer a plan, they'd "automatically" be given their own ASA.
