By April Dabney, Legislative Assistant, TREA Senior Citizens League
TSCL's legislative staff made major strides defending your earned benefits in 2006. Notch Reform, more fair Cost-Of-Living Adjustments (COLAs), the Social Security Totalization Agreement with Mexico, Medicare Means Testing - are just a few of the issues that had us meeting with Members of Congress.
Early last year, we were the first seniors' organization to provide information about how Means Testing would impact Part B premiums over the next three years. Our early estimates that appeared in the March 2006 Advisor so surprised Representative Nita Lowey (NY) that she contacted us asking if we would back legislation that she introduced to repeal Means Testing. We were among the first seniors' organizations to do so.
"Seniors have enough concerns taking care of their health and paying bills that are already too high," says TSCL Chairman Ralph McCutchen. "Because Congress will continue to be under pressure to find ways to cut spending on Medicare, they may try to expand Means Testing possibly by lowering the income levels so that more seniors would be affected."
In June, we filed two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits after numerous refusals by the U.S. Department of State and Social Security Administration to provide virtually any pertinent information regarding the impact of the Totalization Agreement with Mexico on the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund. The lawsuits are pending before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Center For Immigration Studies has projected that the Totalization Agreement could allow millions of Mexican immigrants who worked here illegally to draw billions of dollars from the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund.
We were delighted in September when the House passed "Honor Our Nation's Seniors," a bill introduced by Representative Charlie Gonzalez (TX), co-sponsored by Walter Jones (NC). TSCL played a major role in the development and introduction of the bill, which recognizes the importance of older Americans. Representatives Gonzalez and Jones worked together to ensure Congress would keep seniors in mind when considering legislation that will profoundly affect them in years to come.
Your responses to our mailings have helped TSCL raise the awareness in Congress of the need for a COLA that better keeps up with your health care costs. Proposed legislation to use the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) received tremendous support, 108 cosponsors last year.
Your responses to our surveys, like the one found on pages 5 and 6 of this newsletter, are also vital in helping us show your elected lawmakers why they should support and immediately enact legislation. Thank you for taking some time now to "sound off," and rest assured that we will continue the fight to protect your earned benefits in 2007.
January 2007
