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Legislation Report

April 2011

Social Security and Medicare under Attack in the Senate, House: Twenty-two Republican senators are threatening to vote against raising the debt ceiling later this year unless the president concedes to cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. However, another group of Senators plans to introduce legislation that would separate Social Security from the wider talks on reducing the federal deficit. That initiative has been backed by Democratic Senators. Richard Blumenthal (CT), Barbara Boxer (CA), Sherrod Brown (OH), and Barbara Mikulski (MD), as well as Bernie Sanders (I-VT). On Tuesday, 125 members of the House Democratic Caucus sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner, advising him that a $1.7 billion cut to the budget of the Social Security Administration would have a disastrous effect on beneficiaries. House Rep. Mark Critz (D-PA) introduced an amendment to the stopgap measure to fund the federal government that would prohibit funds in the legislation from being used to cut Social Security or Medicare benefits; privatize Social Security; eliminate guaranteed health coverage for seniors; or establish a Medicare voucher plan that limits payments to beneficiaries. However, the motion failed, 190 to 239.

Retirees Protest Budget Cuts Made at both the State and Federal Level: Retiree activists around the country are outraged as more reports of the ways in which budget cuts will affect seniors are released. In Texas, lawmakers are considering a reduction in Medicaid reimbursements that would result in the closing of 850 of the state’s 1,000 nursing homes. In New York, lawmakers have made plans to close 105 of the state’s 256 senior centers. In Wisconsin, Governor Walker (R) has called for ending the state’s Senior Care prescription drug program. This would force tens of thousands of seniors to enroll in private plans through Medicare Part D, which will be more expensive. Some retiree activists are not taking these attacks lightly. On Tuesday, Florida Alliance members mobilized and joined a “Defend the Dream” protest in West Palm Beach. The event was one of several around the country showing support for public workers, protesting budget cuts, and making Congress aware that Americans will hold lawmakers responsible for their votes. At the Tuesday event, Tony Fransetta, President of the Florida Alliance, called on state lawmakers to address what he said were $26 billion in tax breaks for special interest groups.

        Herman Bracey



Our current legislative agenda focuses on enacting bills to:
Extend the Premium Conversion rights that federal and postal employees have to federal annuitants, so that retirees too can pay their Federal Employee Health Benefits premiums with pre-tax dollars and save an average of $400 each year; and,
Repeal the Social Security Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) — two provisions which can substantially reduce the expected retirement income of retired federal workers.

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