Among the primary targets of the TSCL legislative team's efforts are more than 50 new House Members. In recent years, there has been more success in getting new Members to co-sponsor Notch bills than in convincing returning Members who previously had not signed the Notch bill. Consequently, it is our plan to spend the first half of 2007 contacting each new Member of Congress and educating them about the Notch and other issues of importance to TSCL.
Representative Ralph Hall (TX) - who is well liked by both Democrats and Republicans - remains optimistic about prospects for passage of the Notch Bill. Congressman Hall has made the Notch issue one of his primary legislative concerns during the past decade. It has certainly been helpful to TSCL members to have such a strong Notch champion as Representative Hall.
The TSCL legislative team has also stayed in close contact with Representative Gene Taylor (MS) who introduced a lock-box bill several years ago to protect certain trust funds and retirement funds. He is now considering re-introducing such a bill. TSCL's Chairman, Ralph McCutchen, and other Board of Trustees members met with Congressman Taylor's Policy Director on November 30, 2006, to discuss the matter.
During the next few months there will be discussions about ways TSCL can support Representative Taylor's lock-box efforts. As "Baby Boomers" become eligible for Social Security, the projected surplus is projected to start to decline. This will make it even more urgent than before to protect Social Security for future retirees by locking away the budget Social Security surpluses. TSCL would like to see Congressman Taylor expand the scope of his proposed bill to include the protection of the Social Security Trust Fund.
Please click here to sign TSCL's Social Security Notch Victim Constituent Petition.
The proposed bill could be patterned after "the Social Security and Medicare Lock-Box Act of 2003" introduced by Representative Rush Holt in the 108th Congress. Holt's bill was designed to ensure that "surpluses would be reserved until Social Security and Medicare Solvency Legislation is enacted."
TSCL thus began its legislative work in 2007 with high hopes that the new Congress will satisfactorily address both Notch Reform and Social Security Trust Fund Lock-Box legislation. Based on previous work with Congressmen Ralph Hall and Gene Taylor, there is reason to believe that prospects are as bright as ever for TSCL issues.
March 2007
