By Representative Donald Norcross (NJ-01) .This makes additional protective measures such as mask-wearing all the more necessary. .In the meantime, many Members of Congress will be attending local events and hosting town hall meetings in their home states and districts. The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) encourages its members and supporters to attend these events and to ask questions about their Social Security and Medicare benefits, such as the following … .The Congressional Budget Office recently estimated in their September budget outlook that Medicare outlays for 2020 would rise about 12 percent — roughly double the rate forecast by the Medicare Trustees in their April 2020 report. This suggests that the Medicare Part B premium increase for 2021 could be about .40 per month higher in 2021, rising from 4.60 to 2.00. But even this estimate does not include the impact of cost shifting due to protecting people with low Social Security benefits from reductions due to the high Medicare Part B increase. .That does raise a fair question about conflict of interest: If something was not in the best interest of seniors but would raise millions of dollars for AARP through insurance sales, would AARP put principle ahead of profit? .While most people have rebounded, too many mature workers are still struggling to find work, much less a good-paying job. According to a survey by AARP, half of mature workers who experienced unemployment between 2010-2014 were still looking for work five years later. .The research appears to be good news in the desperate effort to arrest the spread of the virus and suggests a way to ease vaccine shortages and get people vaccinated more quickly. .In a letter that was delivered along with the petitions, Art Cooper – Chairman of The Senior Citizens League's Board of Trustees – wrote: "This bill would better protect the purchasing power of benefits while improving the solvency of the trust funds for decades to come … If you are already a cosponsor of this critical bill, please accept my gratitude. If you are not, please consider the requests of these eight hundred petition signers and cosponsor it before the end of this year." .New retirees often fail to understand just how rising Medicare costs can result in less Social Security income than anticipated. The Social Security Administration automatically deducts premiums for Medicare Part B from Social Security benefits. This year, the Part B premium is 4.00 per month for retirees with incomes under ,000 and the Medicare Trustees estimate it will rise to 5.50 for 2019.