A bill that would rewrite the formula for pension contributions has reached an impasse in Congress. The new plan would reduce the amount of money most companies would have to pay into their pension funds by allowing pensions to use an interest rate based on an index of corporate bonds, rather than the 30-year Treasury bond.
See "Companies Ask Congress to End Impasse Over Pensions", Albert B. Crenshaw, The Washington Post, March 31, 2004