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Congressional Corner
By Representative Stephanie Herseth (SD) Issues like Social Security, Medicare and veteran and military benefits are some of the most important facing us today, affecting millions of seniors and their families. I believe Congress should preserve these benefits for current recipients as well as future generations. On Social Security, I flatly disagree with those who suggest we should raid Social Security to pay for a growing federal deficit. Privatization is also not the answer. Social Security is the backbone of a senior’s retirement, and it should be preserved. Most important, we must do everything possible to protect our Social Security trust fund, which our seniors and those near retirement have paid into their adult lives. Medicare, in addition to Social Security, is one of the most successful and essential federal programs of the last century. I fear, however, that the recent Medicare legislation is a step toward dismantling Medicare instead of saving it. I believe Congress should act to fix the Medicare legislation and help ensure that seniors are able to afford the medicines they need. I support changes to the law that will preserve Medicare and will do more for seniors than for pharmaceutical and insurance companies. That is why one of my first acts in office was to co-sponsor H.R. 3707, bipartisan legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate prescription prices directly with drug companies. I believe that a promise made should be a promise kept, and for far too long, the federal government has been breaking promises to our nation’s veterans. I will fight every day as a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee to ensure that our veterans receive what they deserve. I recently signed Discharge Petitions to end the Survivor Benefit Penalty and the Disabled Veterans Tax, also called Concurrent Receipt. These are bipartisan pieces of legislation that I support, and it’s wrong that some in Washington are fighting against them. They will help ensure that hundreds of thousands of military retirees and their families can keep the benefits they have earned. And I am also fully committed to supporting legislation that would require mandatory funding of Veterans’ health care. Failing to take care of our veterans’ basic health care needs disrespects their service. I will cast South Dakota’s vote in favor of reestablishing our commitment to our nation’s veterans and prioritizing their needs. I am proud to have the opportunity to stand up for these and other issues that affect our nation’s seniors, retirees, and veterans. August 2004 | ||||||||
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