Legislative Alert: Conrad-Gregg Commission

January 25, 2010

Tomorrow the Senate is expected to vote on an amendment offered by Senators Conrad and Gregg to the debt ceiling legislation. This amendment would establish a fiscal commission aimed at reducing the federal debt.

The National Committee strongly opposes the Conrad-Gregg amendment because it would lead to large cuts in Social Security and Medicare. The National Committee plans to include any amendment to establish a fiscal commission in our voting scorecard for the 111th Congress.

Decisions related to complex and essential programs such as Social Security and Medicare should be made through the regular legislative Committee process. Such a process allows each program to be considered on its own merits by substantive experts based on program solvency and policy goals. Enacting legislation that would fast-track major changes to programs essential to millions of Americans disenfranchises the public and undermines the legitimacy of the political process.

Seniors are rightfully concerned that any process with permits Social Security to be taken up in the context of fiscal or budgetary decisions will ignore the needs of Social Security and the well-being of its beneficiaries. Seniors already believe that Social Security is being used by the government as a piggy bank. Passage of the Conrad-Gregg amendment will show them Congress is ready to use a fiscal commission to cut Social Security benefits, making seniors pay the price for the excesses of Wall Street.

On behalf of the millions of seniors represented by the National Committee, we urge you to vote NO on the Conrad-Gregg commission amendment.