In truth, it’s Members of Congress, and not seniors, who are scared. No other issues are striking more fear into the hearts of lawmakers than Social Security and Medicare. What senior voters think matters. Americans 60 and older accounted for 28% of the vote nationally in the 1998 midterm election. Not only are seniors not scared, but they also aren’t likely to tolerate excuses either.

While the blame games and jockeying to score points with senior voters goes on, the nuts and bolts work of getting Notch reform legislation enacted is bogged down. Cost is frequently blamed but both parties continue to indulge in an election year pork spending spree despite a general revenue budget deficit.

The Associated Press reported that recent farm legislation (as just one example) passed into law by President Bush increases spending by nearly 80% over the cost of existing programs. Provisions of the new law benefit ginseng growers in Wisconsin; lentil and chickpea farmers in North Dakota; and John Hancock Life Insurance Company, the biggest owner of peanut growing licenses (see “No Peanuts for Notch Babies” at http://www.tscl.org/NewContent/101500.asp). The money to pay for all this? Surplus Social Security payroll taxes.

Clearly Members of Congress need reminding that Social Security is to pay for benefits to seniors—benefits like those under Notch reform. Contact your Member of Congress and let them know it is performance, not excuses, that counts. Tell them to enact The Notch Fairness Act by using our “Contact Congress” tools at http://action.tscl.org/GuidetoContactingCongress.asp. Make sure you let your Representatives and Senators know that you are registered to vote and that you are ready to use it! (If you need to register to vote, you can find helpful information by clicking here: http://www.tscl.org/NewContent/101344.asp.)

Source: “Bush Signs Farm Legislation,” Scott Lindaw, The Associated Press, May 13, 2002.

September 2002