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Congressional Corner: Aging with Grace: A Senior`s Voice in Washington
All Americans deserve a safe and secure future. As the U.S. Representative for the 28th District of Texas from Laredo to San Antonio representing more than 30,000 Americans over the age of 65, I consistently champion for seniors' rights, making sure that your government does its part in working for you, especially regarding issues such as Medicare and Social Security. These issues are close to my heart as both of my parents are now themselves in their golden years. My father, Martin, is 79 and my mother, Odilia, is 77. In Congress, I continue to protect American senior citizens such as my parents and yourself, by fighting for quality health care options for our seniors and preserving your earned Social Security benefits. It is no secret that many Americans have been recently struggling with complex and confusing new Medicare plans. The new program requires that people choose from literally dozens of competing private insurance plans, and for some, the choices are too many and too daunting. Knowing all there is to know about the many plans can be quite a tall order. Seniors and people with disabilities are paying the price of this confusion as they are being assigned to new programs that don't meet their needs. As a result, Medicare beneficiaries have been unable to get much needed prescriptions and have faced inordinate delays. I remain committed to preserving and enhancing quality healthcare options for all Americans. I have fought and will continue to fight for a better Medicare by supporting legislation that amplifies and enhances healthcare options and accessibility. It is extremely important to me that we establish effective long-term healthcare support for America's senior citizens. In addition, with the recent scrutiny of the current Social Security system and more baby boomers reaching retirement age, government funds meant to assist you after retirement have been brought into question. You have worked hard all of your lives for Social Security and the government should not jeopardize what you have earned. Each individual who has dutifully paid into the Social Security system rightfully deserves to receive Social Security benefits. Without Social Security more than half of all retired Americans would live in poverty. Congress and the Administration must work together to develop programs and improvements for the retired and soon to be retired. I have pledged to protect Social Security and oppose total privatization efforts that would take $1.5 trillion from Social Security to set up private accounts over the next ten years and potentially drain Social Security funding. With aging parents, I personally understand the importance of providing our elders with the resources they need to preserve the quality of life all Americans deserve in their later years. I will continue to work to ensure that your government is able to fulfill this need and that we maintain effective programs for American seniors. For more information about my work on your behalf in Washington, I invite you to visit my website at http://www.house.gov/cuellar/. May 2006 | ||||||||
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By Representative Henry Cuellar (TX)