Archive for January, 2009
Reforming Medicare for Seniors
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009New legislation introduced this week in Congress may finally end years of Congressional efforts to privatize Medicare that for too long have put industry profits ahead of seniors’ needs. The Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act, (HR 684),sponsored by Senator Dick Durbin and Representatives Marion Berry and Jan Schakowsky, creates a prescription drug program [...]
“The Grand Bargain” — Political Opportunism or Fiscal Responsibility?
Friday, January 23rd, 2009“This is what I call a target rich environment.” Senate Budget Committee Chairman, Kent Conrad, January 21, 2009 It’s hard to imagine that at the same time millions of Americans are watching their home values plummet, their savings disappear and healthcare costs skyrocket, so-called “fiscal hawks” in Congress are pushing to cut the [...]
Seniors Skipped in Economic Recovery Plan?
Thursday, January 15th, 2009Older Americans living on a fixed income feel the pressure of the current recession as acutely as anyone does, yet they are often overlooked in economic stimulus packages. That’s because retired seniors who are living primarily on their Social Security and don’t file tax returns aren’t impacted by changes in the withholding rules. Millions of [...]
Getting it Right on Social Security
Tuesday, January 13th, 2009There are a number of great articles and opinion pieces today on Social Security “reform” and the so-called “grand bargain” anti-entitlement crusaders are hoping to elicit from the Obama administration as they consider short-term stimulus legislation. First, economist Dean Baker with the Center for Economic and Policy Research puts the whole issue in perspective wonderfully [...]
“Let’s Make a Deal” Politics Trades Social Security for Stimulus
Monday, January 12th, 2009Anti-entitlement members of Congress want President-elect Obama to make a deal to gain their support for a desperately needed stimulus package. It’s a political quid-pro-quo that would trade away long-term benefits for generations of seniors, survivors, the disabled and their families for a short-term economic recovery package desperately needed to reverse the damage of eight years [...]
Stimulus vs. Safety net is a False Choice
Thursday, January 8th, 2009We here at the National Committee congratulate the new Congress and President-elect Obama for making economic recovery an immediate priority. Skyrocketing medical bills, shrinking savings and plummeting home values have hit retirees, living on fixed incomes, especially hard. For many, Social Security and Medicare have provided their only stable economic security during these tough times. [...]
Failed Social Security Privatization is a Bush Achievement?
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009While we here at the National Committee certainly celebrated the failure of President Bush’s attempt to destroy Social Security through privatization…it’s a surprise to see President Bush now counts that failure as a…domestic success? As part of his redefining-my-legacy-tour with friendly reporters and columnists, President Bush sat down and had lunch with Fred Barnes and [...]