House and Senate Democrats, as expected, yesterday introduced identical pension bills consisting mostly of warmed-over provisions.
The bills would create a simplified pension plan for small businesses and make it easier for individuals to save for retirement. The legislation also includes pension provisions offered by President Clinton in his budget package earlier this year - speeding up vesting of matching employer contributions and allowing employers to deduct money from their employees' paychecks to contribute to IRAs.
Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle, D-S.D., said he's ``not overly optimistic'' about the chances of passage.
