Two Key Bills Gain Cosponsors .Why Are My Social Security Benefits Taxed? This Is Double Taxation! .Obama's new policy for illegal immigrants was recently announced and implemented without Congressional approval. Now questions are growing about the potential for widespread fraud — and with good reason, it seems. Less than two months after the government announced some 800,000 illegal immigrants would qualify for work authorization under the program, immigration policy analysts now say that more than twice that number, nearly 1.8 million, will qualify. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security appears to be accepting a surprisingly wide variety of evidence and supporting documents from applicants, hoping to prove that they qualify to stay in the U.S. and for temporary work authorization. ."This year's zero COLA combined with next year's insufficient increase will have a devastating impact on the long term adequacy of Social Security benefits for millions of Americans … we hope that you will act swiftly and responsibly before the end of this year," the letter stated. .Your cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) "overpays" you. Yes, that is an outrageous statement — especially since you haven't gotten a COLA boost for two years. Nevertheless, calling it "The Moment of Truth Project," that's what the President's Fiscal Commission is saying in making the case for the government to switch to a more slowly- growing "chained" Consumer Price Index (CPI). .This week, the Obama administration released its much-anticipated 2013 budget proposal, and the House-Senate conference committee compromised on a deal to prevent payment cuts to Medicare physicians and extend the payroll tax holiday. In addition, four new cosponsors signed on to the Social Security Fairness Act. .Access to Medicare and Medicaid including community-based long-term care support and services and programs that make Medicare more affordable. .Fight to End Surprise Billing is Losing Key Ally .The wage reports held in the Social Security Earnings Suspense file also represent a huge hidden time bomb for Social Security and Medicare. Under current Social Security policy, all earnings, even if based on illegal work, are used to determine entitlement to benefits. If at some point an illegal worker gains valid work authorization, as he or she would under an "amnesty" or a Totalization agreement, and can produce proof of earnings like old W2s, those earnings would be reinstated to their new Social Security account. Eventually the individual could file a claim for benefits that might be based, at least in part, on illegal work.