|
||||||||
Notch Legislation New Congress Highlighting the growing urgency for assisting the plight of Notch babies, three pieces of Notch Reform legislation were among the first bills introduced in the opening session of the new Congress. Representative Ralph Hall (D-4-TX) introduced H.R. 97 `The Notch Fairness Act 2001` with 23 co-sponsors already signed on. The legislation would provide those born from 1917 through 1926 with their choice of improved monthly benefits or a Lump-Sum totaling $5,000 payable over a four-year period. The bill, which is estimated to cost about $45 billion over the four-year period, would not rely on money from the Social Security Trust fund, but would be financed by cutting wasteful government non-defense spending and pork. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-8-MO) introduced H.R. 80 `The Notch Baby Act of 2001` and H.R. 82 `The Notch Baby Health Care Relief Act.` `The Notch Baby Act` would provide improved monthly benefits for those born from 1917 through 1926, `The Notch Baby Health Care Relief Act` would allow a refundable credit to those born from 1917 through 1926 for Medicare Part B premiums. Both Hall and Emerson sponsored similar versions of their bills in the last Congress. Both were part of a group of Representatives who were thwarted in an attempt to get Notch Reform added as an amendment to a House tax bill. Voters returned 192 of the 195 Members of the House who co-sponsored Notch Reform legislation in the 106th Congress-an indication of the importance of the Notch issue. H.R. 97 Notch Fairness Act of 2001
This article first appeared in Volume 6, Issue 4 of "The Social Security and Medicare Advisor" newsletter (March/2001). To receive future editions of "The Advisor" in its special, free e-mail version, please click here. | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||
