Both men are right, however, in promising to protect current retirees and those who are close to retiring.

He's worked to protect retirees from reduced benefits or pensions.

He is also well known for his efforts to protect federal employees and military retirees.

The single-employer program protects 34.0 million workers and retirees in 28,800 pension plans.

The multiemployer program protects 9.9 million workers and retirees in 1,540 pension plans.

A policy could be evolved that would respond to these needs and, at the same time, protect retirees.

Ultimately, taxpayers, not the trust fund, protect future retirees.

Corporate officials say that the surpluses are not a windfall but the fruits of their prudent efforts to protect retirees.

Congress must enact legislation to protect workers and retirees before companies raid the remaining $218 billion in surplus assets.

The outcome is an unusual one for the agency, which was created in 1974 to protect retirees from losing all their benefits when companies go bankrupt.