After a much-anticipated mid-term election and an active "lame duck" session on Capitol Hill, the 114th Congress has officially begun and The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) is gearing up for another busy year. With the November elections behind them, lawmakers will finally be able to focus on some of the complex policy issues that sit high on their agendas, like deficit reduction, Social Security reform, and an overhaul of the immigration system. .On Tuesday, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles released a revised version of their "Moment of Truth" report, which was drafted by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in 20In the new framework, the two recommend averting the sequester – the billion in automatic cuts that are scheduled to hit in just one week – and replacing it with .4 trillion in deficit reduction. .Representative John Garamendi (CA-3) introduced H.R. 1553 on March 6, 201It has since been referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. .Most people don't know where to begin, and the process is designed to overwhelm you before you start. You, however, do not have to be one of these people. All you need to do is to call and set up a free counseling session with a local Medicare benefits counselor. Do this NOW. Locate the program in your area on the State Health Insurance Program website — https://www.shiptacenter.org. .For details, or to see if your Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings during the summer recess, call their local offices. You can find contact information HERE. For a list of ten sample town hall questions, click HERE. .On Wednesday, lawmakers on the House Budget Committee held a hearing titled: "Keeping Our Promise to America's Seniors: Retirement Security in the 21st Century." Committee members heard from several expert Social Security witnesses, including Congressman John Larson (CT-1) – Chairman of the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee. .Early Efforts to Hold Congress to Its Promise Leads to a Notch Commission .This week, lawmakers in the House and Senate voted to begin conference negotiations on legislation to overhaul the tax code. Representatives in the House passed their tax reform bill last month, and Senators in the Senate passed their version last Friday, with a vote of 51-4Members of the bicameral conference committee have been busy ironing out the differences between the two bills this week, and they hope to have a deal reached before they adjourn for the holiday recess on December 22nd. .For the last couple of weeks we've also reported on a hearing by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform regarding the prices that drug companies are charging for some of their drugs that are critical for the health of many seniors.