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Legislative Update: TSCL Celebrates Ten Years of Serving Seniors
By Patty Gaul, Director of Legislative Affairs, TREA Senior Citizens League In the past two years, we have also advocated for a prescription drug benefit, COLA fairness, and drug importation. The legislative team, under the guidance of the TSCL Board of Trustees, researches legislative issues and makes recommendations to the Board. The Board, consisting of retired military who give their time and energies to TSCL without compensation, makes decisions after careful yet timely deliberation. In addition, the Board often participates in meetings with Members of Congress and their staffs. In the 108th Congress, the Notch Fairness Act has garnered great support. (See this issue’s Notch Bulletin for more details.) We have pressed for passage and enactment of a bill to allow for Market Access to medicines, often called drug “reimportation.” To the surprise of many, a bill introduced by Congressman Gil Gutknecht (R-MN) was agreed to in the House of Representatives by a vote of 243-186. As I write, we are working to see that a strong importation bill passes in the Senate. The issue is gaining momentum, and I am hopeful that we will have success. Finally, TSCL promotes COLA fairness, specifically a bill to fully implement a consumer price index for the elderly, or CPI-E. Currently, there are 115 cosponsors of the bill, up from the 79 that had signed on to a similar bill in the 107th Congress. We will continue our efforts to see that seniors receive a cost of living adjustment based on how they spend their money, not how young, urban workers spend theirs. The legislative team could not do its job without the work of the administrative section of TSCL. The staff answer calls, letters and e-mails from thousands of TSCL members each year, as well as finding new benefits for our membership – services that greatly improve the livelihood of seniors such as assistive devices and help save them precious dollars. Happy Anniversary, TSCL! August 2004 | ||||||||
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