News

  • Legislative Update For Week Ending December 25 2015

    President Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing the federal government to buy certain drugs solely from American factories. .(Washington, DC) – The tax bill being discussed in the U.S. House contains what may be only a fleeting benefit for middle class and older Americans, warns The Senior Citizens League. "The changes under consideration may provide some modestly lower federal income taxes at first, but the benefits for many people would be short - lived," says The Senior Citizens League's Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, Mary Johnson. "Older middle - income Americans could shoulder a disproportionate share of taxes under these changes, and get pushed more quickly into higher tax brackets than they are today," says The Senior Citizens League's Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, Mary Johnson. .Contact Social Security and ask about placing a "block" on your account. This would prevent changes from being made regarding your address and payment deposit. The "block" would require that you visit your local Social Security office in person to authorize changes. … Continued

  • Striking Obamacare Mean Medicare

    When he first ran for office, candidate Trump promised he would not make any attempt to cut Social Security or Medicare while he is President. But in an interview this week with CNBC's Joe Kernan, and definitely something we will be keeping a close eye on, President Trump mentioned in a news conference that cutting entitlements (Social Security and Medicare) is not off the table. .August Congressional Recess Continues .In addition, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a federal agency within the legislative branch, does its own forecast of the programs. The CBO produces independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressional budget process. Each year, the agency's economists and budget analysts produce dozens of reports and hundreds of cost estimates for proposed legislation. … Continued

A number of the Commission's proposals would hit seniors particularly hard. Here are a few highlights: .Despite the new endorsement from the Freedom Caucus, leaders in the House do not yet have the votes needed to win passage. On Thursday evening, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) told reporters, "We've been making great progress, and when we have the votes we'll vote on it." .Depending on the size of COLAs and the amount of the Medicare Part B premium increase in following years, it may well take Sally another year, possibly even longer, to see any increase in her net benefit. Meanwhile Sally's other household costs have made big jumps. ."In the event that you have the choice to get vaccinated, I'd encourage you to take the vaccine that you're given," John Brooks, the chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Covid-19 response, said at a briefing Friday." .The CBO said earlier this year that if the Congress did not take action to address the shortfalls, the balances in the two trust funds would be exhausted within the next 10 years: Medicare's Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund (in fiscal year 2024), and Social Security's Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund (in fiscal year 2026) .With that in mind we remind you that the Federal Trade Commission has warned that anybody offering a chance to jump ahead on the statewide priority list for a vaccination in exchange for money is a scammer. .The Additional Child Tax Credit currently amounts to ,000 per child and a filer can receive a refund even if no income tax was withheld or paid. According to the Treasury Inspector General, the average amount per return in 2010 was ,800, but 9,000 taxpayers claimed a total of ,000 or more by filing for previous year tax periods. The following table illustrates the huge growth in payments to illegals. .The Guaranteed 3% COLA Act — Like the CPI-E Act, this critical bill would base Social Security COLAs on an inflation index for seniors. However, it would also provide much-needed financial relief to older Americans by ensuring that beneficiaries never receive an annual benefit increase that is less than 3%. TSCL was disappointed that this essential bill did not gain the support it needed to win passage in the 115th Congress, but TSCL is working to get Members of Congress onboard and the legislation moving in 2019. .Following the meeting at the White House, Congressman Welch told reporters: "It simply makes no sense for Medicare to buy wholesale and pay retail prices. As a businessman, President Trump understands that. I hope he helps us enact our legislation to provide urgently needed relief to consumers and taxpayers." In addition, Congressman Cummings said, "We had a productive meeting today … The President committed to reviewing our proposal, and he seemed enthusiastic about the idea."