Pension Solvency Relief Gets Fresh Shot in Democratic Congress

Saving underfunded pension plans from bankruptcy has a better chance of coming to fruition now that Democrats control both the White House and Congress.

Under divided rule, lawmakers pushed pension solvency via standalone bills, as part of economic relief packages, and in supercommittee talks that ultimately failed because of partisanship. But with unified control, Democrats can expedite their utmost priorities in a simple majority-based budget reconciliation vote.

Whether pension solvency rises to that level remains to be seen.

“I don’t think it’s a first 100 days project,” Tom Reeder, former director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, said. “But it ...