A Bipartisan Push to Give Railroaders What We Have Earned

On April 20, 2026, a bipartisan group of United States Senators sent a letter to Congress supporting increased funding for the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). At first glance, that may sound like another routine action in Washington, but it’s something that all railroaders should pay attention to.

This letter is about something that is very direct: making sure railroaders can actually access the benefits we have already paid for.

In the letter, the senators ask for the RRB to receive $185 million in administrative funding for Fiscal Year 2027. This is a big increase from their 2026 budget, but this is not a request for new benefits or new programs. It is about allowing the system to work for US.

The Railroad Retirement Board is different from most other systems. Railroaders do not rely on Social Security or standard state unemployment programs. Instead, we pay into our own system, which provides retirement, disability, unemployment, and sickness benefits. We take care of ourselves and each other in-house without taxpayer dollars. Our forefathers in rail labor set it up this way so we can control our own destiny.  

That means the 2027 funding request is not about asking the government for more money in the usual sense. It is about allowing the RRB to use the money that railroaders have already contributed.

The Truth: RRB is Under Strain

The Senators laid out the real problems facing the RRB. Disability claims are taking an average of 14 months to process. Outdated technology is slowing everything down. Staffing shortages are making it harder for the agency to keep up. A large portion of the workforce is nearing retirement, which could make things significantly worse.

For railroaders and their families, this isn’t just a policy issue. It means long waits during some of the most difficult times in our lives. After an injury, during an illness, or when work is unavailable, is not when we should get let down by a system that we pay a significant amount of money every month.

The fact that these U.S. Senators see us and get why we’re angry is why this letter matters.

It also matters because of who stood behind it.

Votes Not Quotes

SMART-TD wants to thank this bipartisan group of United States Senators who came together, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as leaders who are standing With Us in support of railroaders and our families. Those Senators are:

• Amy Klobuchar (W-MN)
• Josh Hawley (W-MO)
• Roger Marshall (W-KS)
• Bernie Sanders (W-VT)
• Chris Van Hollen (W-MD)
• Edward Markey (W-MA)
• Tammy Duckworth (W-IL)
• Andy Kim (W-NJ)
• Ruben Gallego (W-AZ)
• Tina Smith (W-MN)
• Cory Booker (W-NJ)
• Richard Durbin (W-IL)
• Richard Blumenthal (W-CT)
• Tim Kaine (W-VA)
• Angela Alsobrooks (W-MD)

In this moment, each of them is standing up for railroaders. They are standing up for the retirees who more than earned their pensions, the injured worker navigating disability, and the furloughed conductor waiting on unemployment benefits. They are standing up for the principle that railroaders should not have to fight to access our own money.

This Support Is Not A Coincidence

It comes from years of work by SMART-TD members, State Safety and Legislative Boards, and our Local Legislative Representatives who have taken the time to educate lawmakers and share real experiences from the field.

It also reflects a deliberate approach.

As an organization, SMART-TD has focused on building relationships based on issues instead of  politics. That means sitting down with anyone willing to listen and focusing on what matters most, the needs of our members.

This bipartisan letter is a direct result of that approach.

It is a reminder that when we stay focused and engaged, we can build support in places where it might not have existed before. And more importantly, we can help ensure that the system railroaders depend on continues to serve us the way it should.

This should not be complicated.

Railroaders paid into this system.
We earned these benefits.

It’s our money!
We deserve to access it without delay, and without having to ask Congress permission to take care of our own.