Council President James A. Klein has stated that "the pension bill is a mixed bag for workers and employers. The permanent enactment of the savings provisions originally contained in the 2001 tax law, as well as provisions for automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans and the encouragement of investment advice for plan participants demonstrate a strong commitment to make defined contribution plans even more successful than they already are. The legislation also makes clear, as we have consistently maintained and [as the recent court decision in Cooper v. IBM reiterated], that cash balance and other hybrid pension plans are not age discriminatory. We are pleased that important relief for airlines has been included, but the new law’s funding regime for most pension plans — including most well-funded plans — is troubling. By injecting more volatility into employers’ pension funding obligations, the law is likely to accelerate the trend away from defined benefit plans."