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Bush Defends Workers' Pensions

By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer

President Bush called on American businesses on Monday to live up to their pension promises, saying too many companies are not putting away enough money to protect the retirement benefits of their workers.

"My message to corporate America is you need to fulfill your promises," Bush said. "When you say to a worker, `This is what they're going get when they retire,' you better put enough money in the account to make sure the worker gets that what you said."

In a speech on the economy, the president said federal rules governing pensions are confusing and misleading and allow companies to technically play by the rules without funding the promises they make. In the end, taxpayers wind up footing the bill because of federal pension insurance, he said.

"So Congress needs to straighten up these rules," Bush said. Members of his economic team said pension-reform legislation moving through Congress is not tough enough. "And I'm not going to sign a bill that weakens pension funding for the American workers," Bush said.

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