Congresswoman Tenney Participates in Town Hall with Delphi Salaried Retirees

Lockport, NY – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) yesterday hosted a town hall meeting with a group of Delphi Salaried Retirees based in Western New York. Tenney discussed her continued efforts in Congress to restore their pensions, which were wrongfully slashed by the Obama administration. 

During the 2009 economic crisis, the Delphi Corporation, a car parts manufacturer, filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by General Motors. As part of the subsequent General Motors bailout agreement and restructuring, the Delphi employee pensions were surrendered to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. The Obama Administration then worked behind closed doors with union leaders to cut the pensions promised to the 20,000 non-unionized salaried staff. While General Motors supplemented the pensions of unionized hourly employees, over 20,000 Delphi Salaried Retirees saw their benefits unfairly slashed by up to 70 percent. It was an egregious and completely unacceptable wrong that left thousands of New Yorkers without the retirement benefits they earned over a lifetime of work.

The town hall event was held in Lockport, New York, and attended by more than 100 individuals, who shared their personal stories of pain and suffering that resulted from having their earned benefits unfairly slashed.

Congresswoman Tenney is committed to restoring these slashed benefits. In Congress, she has taken multiple actions to restore the Delphi Salaried Retirees’ pensions, including:

• Voting in favor of the Susan Muffley Act when it passed the House of Representatives on July 27, 2022;

• Sending a letter to 15 senators encouraging them to support expeditious passage of the Susan Muffley Act in the U.S. Senate;

• Led a letter with six colleagues in the House of Representatives urging House leadership to include the Susan Muffley Act in the FY2023 Omnibus;

• Introducing a bipartisan amendment to include the Susan Muffley Act in the FY2023 Omnibus;

•  Co-leading the reintroduced bipartisan Susan Muffley Act in the 118th Congress along with Reps. Kildee, Turner, and Moore.

• Submitting an Appropriations Request to include language requiring the Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation to explore ways to make the Delphi Salaried Retirees whole again.

“The Delphi Salaried Retirees were egregiously wronged by the Obama administration through no fault of their own,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “In Congress, alongside my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, I am continuing to advocate tirelessly on their behalf. New York families have suffered immensely because of the unfair decision made by Washington bureaucrats behind closed doors. It was an honor for me to once again meet with those impacted by this terrible decision and update them on my work in Congress on their behalf. I will not stop fighting until the benefits they earned are fully restored.”

"On behalf of thousands of Delphi Salaried Retirees in New York and across the country, we thank Congresswoman Tenney for her continued leadership and advocacy on this issue. After 14 years, it's time to get it resolved,” said Delphi Salaried Retiree Rick Strusienski.

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