Social Security COLA Vote Coming Up-Call Congress Today!
Congressional leaders have put emergency COLA legislation on the calendar?with a vote expected as early as tomorrow. Unfortunately, its passage is far from certain.Which makes it more than just ironic (you could say it?s actually infuriating) is that many of the same fiscal hawks who fought hard to keep $4 trillion dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy, will blithely argue on the floor of the Senate and House this week that America can?t afford to give seniors–who will go without a cost of living increase for two consecutive years–$250.Contrary to the ?greedy geezer? mythology preferred by these Washington?s fiscal hawks, the truth about this COLA legislation has absolutely nothing to do their us-versus-them, young-versus-old propaganda. In fact, these $250 one-time payments have been proven to be effective economic stimulus and a job creator, as was the case in 2009:While its share of the overall Recovery Act spending was very small, this lump-sum payment was one of the quickest-acting components of the overall package?the majority of payments were received just months after the Act was passed (by the end of May 2009). This Social Security and SSI payment by itself likely boosted GDP by roughly 0.5% in the second quarter of 2009, which would roughly translate to about 125,000 jobs created or saved due to these payments.?? ?Downpayment on Economic Recovery,? September 2010Ask your representatives in Congress?
?Where do you stand on COLA relief legislation for millions of retirees??
and then
?Where do you stand on extending $4 billion in tax cuts to the wealthy??
The answers to these questions will tell you a lot about Washington?s current fiscal priorities.Pushing tax cuts for the wealthy while rejecting any COLA relief and even proposing benefit cuts in Social Security are not America?s fiscal priorities. This Washington disconnect is not good for our nation or our economic recovery and it?s time we deliver that message loud and clear.Use our 24-hour Legislative Hotline to connect directly to your members:
800-998-0180
Or send an email from our Legislative Action Center. You can see a sample email message there and personalize it with your own message to Congress.
Tell Congress ? it?s time to get their priorities straight!
National Committee President/CEO Barbara Kennelly?s Statement on Failure to Issue a Fiscal Commission Report
?In spite of months of deliberations in a process that appeared intent on reducing the deficit by cutting Social Security, the fiscal commission has failed to reach a consensus on a plan.I?m not surprised given that this fiscal debate spent so much time on the wrong track. Working Americans, who continue to suffer in this economic crisis, want fiscal sanity returned to Washington. However, they also know that Social Security isn?t the problem. Unfortunately, it?s clear that many in Washington will continue to search for a way to reduce Social Security benefits in order to avoid repaying the $2.6 trillion dollars in bonds currently credited to Social Security. That is not fiscal responsibility — that?s $2.6 trillion dollars contributed to Social Security by America?s workers that Washington?s fiscal hawks want to keep.If anything good has come from this commission effort, it?s that the root causes of our fiscal woes have been identified. The commission has begun the process of examining how we can rein in our debt and deficits, which are by definition outside the Social Security portion of the budget. This is where our future efforts must begin.Moving forward, National Committee members believe that Congress must stay focused on reducing the deficit while remembering that today?s middle-income workers are tomorrow?s retirees. Given the economic challenges millions of Americans face now and into the future, it?s clear that preserving and strengthening Social Security benefits should be Washington?s only goal for this program.??Barbara B. Kennelly, President/CEO
Tell the Fiscal Commission – No Way
After watching today’s fiscal commission meeting it appears, as expected, it’s unlikely there will be 14 members in support of the Fiscal Commission’s report. That vote will come on Friday and there are several key Democratic members who NEED to hear from seniors today.Based on their comments today, it appears some these folks will ultimately vote against this report; however, they are not all expressing the clear reservations we would expect to hear from members who support Social Security and Medicare. We urge you to offer these members a respectful, yet clear reminder of why deep cuts in benefits, raising the retirement age, cost sharing in Medicare, and countless other provisions don’t represent the “shared sacrifice” promised by this commission.Tell them cutting Social Security benefits to avoid paying back the billions you?ve contributed for a working lifetime to the Trust Fund is NOT the ?shared sacrifice? Washington promised. Middle class Americans can not continue to foot the bill for Washington?s fiscal failures. They should Vote NO on a fiscal commission report that uses Social Security as Washington?s piggy bank!Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) 202-224-2152Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) 202-224-2651Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) 202-225-6235
Fiscal Commission Says Cut Social Security
National Committee President/CEO Barbara Kennelly?s Statement on Fiscal Commission Report Release
?The report released by the President?s Fiscal Commission today continues to lack the balanced approach to deficit and debt reduction the American people have said clearly and repeatedly they expect. Social Security never had a legitimate place in any deficit reduction discussion. Yet this Fiscal Commission report relies heavily on benefit cuts impacting working Americans to pay the price of failed economic policies of the past. It?s clear that too many in Washington will continue to search for a way to reduce Social Security benefits in order to avoid repaying the $2.6 trillion dollars in bonds currently credited to Social Security.If we?re truly concerned about the future of middle-class America, then strengthening Social Security by closing its modest funding gap is a critical first step. But the policy choices we make in strengthening Social Security should be guided by what?s good for the program and not what?s wrong with the budget. Washington must stop ignoring the critical role Social Security continues to play for older Americans, their families and the economy as a whole.This report does not meet that very basic standard of fiscal fairness and that is why it should not receive the 14 required commission votes to proceed. ??Barbara B. Kennelly, President/CEO
Call Congress TODAY!
There are 3.8 trillion reasons why you should take a minute today to call Congress and tell your representatives why cutting Social Security in the name of deficit reduction is fiscal and political suicide. The 3.8 trillion reasons represent the $3.8 trillion dollars you will contribute throughout your working life to the Social Security Trust Fund ? the fund that Washington?s fiscal hawks now don?t want to pay back. That was real money when it came out of your paycheck and it?s still real money ? not worthless IOU?s ? that the federal governmentpromised to repayworking Americans, that is, unless Washington passes benefit cuts like those proposed by the Fiscal Commission Chairmen.Today is National Call-In day and we urge everyone to make it clear to Washington that proposals to make deep cuts in Social Security has nothing to do with deficit reduction and everything to do with breaking a promise made to millions of Americans, including retirees, the disabled, survivors and their families.And while you?ve got them on the phone also make it clear that seniors need COLA relief. Congress is back in session for a few short weeks and this is their last chance to pass COLA relief for seniors this year. Please call your Senators and Representative and tell them to oppose budget-driven Social Security benefit cuts and put much needed $250 checks into the hands of older Americans by supporting H.R. 5987 and S. 1685.The National Committee?s toll free Legislative Hotline will connect you with your members of Congress with one simple call:
800-998-0180
Social Security COLA Vote Coming Up-Call Congress Today!
Congressional leaders have put emergency COLA legislation on the calendar?with a vote expected as early as tomorrow. Unfortunately, its passage is far from certain.Which makes it more than just ironic (you could say it?s actually infuriating) is that many of the same fiscal hawks who fought hard to keep $4 trillion dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy, will blithely argue on the floor of the Senate and House this week that America can?t afford to give seniors–who will go without a cost of living increase for two consecutive years–$250.Contrary to the ?greedy geezer? mythology preferred by these Washington?s fiscal hawks, the truth about this COLA legislation has absolutely nothing to do their us-versus-them, young-versus-old propaganda. In fact, these $250 one-time payments have been proven to be effective economic stimulus and a job creator, as was the case in 2009:While its share of the overall Recovery Act spending was very small, this lump-sum payment was one of the quickest-acting components of the overall package?the majority of payments were received just months after the Act was passed (by the end of May 2009). This Social Security and SSI payment by itself likely boosted GDP by roughly 0.5% in the second quarter of 2009, which would roughly translate to about 125,000 jobs created or saved due to these payments.?? ?Downpayment on Economic Recovery,? September 2010Ask your representatives in Congress?
?Where do you stand on COLA relief legislation for millions of retirees??
and then
?Where do you stand on extending $4 billion in tax cuts to the wealthy??
The answers to these questions will tell you a lot about Washington?s current fiscal priorities.Pushing tax cuts for the wealthy while rejecting any COLA relief and even proposing benefit cuts in Social Security are not America?s fiscal priorities. This Washington disconnect is not good for our nation or our economic recovery and it?s time we deliver that message loud and clear.Use our 24-hour Legislative Hotline to connect directly to your members:
800-998-0180
Or send an email from our Legislative Action Center. You can see a sample email message there and personalize it with your own message to Congress.
Tell Congress ? it?s time to get their priorities straight!
National Committee President/CEO Barbara Kennelly?s Statement on Failure to Issue a Fiscal Commission Report
?In spite of months of deliberations in a process that appeared intent on reducing the deficit by cutting Social Security, the fiscal commission has failed to reach a consensus on a plan.I?m not surprised given that this fiscal debate spent so much time on the wrong track. Working Americans, who continue to suffer in this economic crisis, want fiscal sanity returned to Washington. However, they also know that Social Security isn?t the problem. Unfortunately, it?s clear that many in Washington will continue to search for a way to reduce Social Security benefits in order to avoid repaying the $2.6 trillion dollars in bonds currently credited to Social Security. That is not fiscal responsibility — that?s $2.6 trillion dollars contributed to Social Security by America?s workers that Washington?s fiscal hawks want to keep.If anything good has come from this commission effort, it?s that the root causes of our fiscal woes have been identified. The commission has begun the process of examining how we can rein in our debt and deficits, which are by definition outside the Social Security portion of the budget. This is where our future efforts must begin.Moving forward, National Committee members believe that Congress must stay focused on reducing the deficit while remembering that today?s middle-income workers are tomorrow?s retirees. Given the economic challenges millions of Americans face now and into the future, it?s clear that preserving and strengthening Social Security benefits should be Washington?s only goal for this program.??Barbara B. Kennelly, President/CEO
Tell the Fiscal Commission – No Way
After watching today’s fiscal commission meeting it appears, as expected, it’s unlikely there will be 14 members in support of the Fiscal Commission’s report. That vote will come on Friday and there are several key Democratic members who NEED to hear from seniors today.Based on their comments today, it appears some these folks will ultimately vote against this report; however, they are not all expressing the clear reservations we would expect to hear from members who support Social Security and Medicare. We urge you to offer these members a respectful, yet clear reminder of why deep cuts in benefits, raising the retirement age, cost sharing in Medicare, and countless other provisions don’t represent the “shared sacrifice” promised by this commission.Tell them cutting Social Security benefits to avoid paying back the billions you?ve contributed for a working lifetime to the Trust Fund is NOT the ?shared sacrifice? Washington promised. Middle class Americans can not continue to foot the bill for Washington?s fiscal failures. They should Vote NO on a fiscal commission report that uses Social Security as Washington?s piggy bank!Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) 202-224-2152Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) 202-224-2651Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) 202-225-6235
Fiscal Commission Says Cut Social Security
National Committee President/CEO Barbara Kennelly?s Statement on Fiscal Commission Report Release
?The report released by the President?s Fiscal Commission today continues to lack the balanced approach to deficit and debt reduction the American people have said clearly and repeatedly they expect. Social Security never had a legitimate place in any deficit reduction discussion. Yet this Fiscal Commission report relies heavily on benefit cuts impacting working Americans to pay the price of failed economic policies of the past. It?s clear that too many in Washington will continue to search for a way to reduce Social Security benefits in order to avoid repaying the $2.6 trillion dollars in bonds currently credited to Social Security.If we?re truly concerned about the future of middle-class America, then strengthening Social Security by closing its modest funding gap is a critical first step. But the policy choices we make in strengthening Social Security should be guided by what?s good for the program and not what?s wrong with the budget. Washington must stop ignoring the critical role Social Security continues to play for older Americans, their families and the economy as a whole.This report does not meet that very basic standard of fiscal fairness and that is why it should not receive the 14 required commission votes to proceed. ??Barbara B. Kennelly, President/CEO
Call Congress TODAY!
There are 3.8 trillion reasons why you should take a minute today to call Congress and tell your representatives why cutting Social Security in the name of deficit reduction is fiscal and political suicide. The 3.8 trillion reasons represent the $3.8 trillion dollars you will contribute throughout your working life to the Social Security Trust Fund ? the fund that Washington?s fiscal hawks now don?t want to pay back. That was real money when it came out of your paycheck and it?s still real money ? not worthless IOU?s ? that the federal governmentpromised to repayworking Americans, that is, unless Washington passes benefit cuts like those proposed by the Fiscal Commission Chairmen.Today is National Call-In day and we urge everyone to make it clear to Washington that proposals to make deep cuts in Social Security has nothing to do with deficit reduction and everything to do with breaking a promise made to millions of Americans, including retirees, the disabled, survivors and their families.And while you?ve got them on the phone also make it clear that seniors need COLA relief. Congress is back in session for a few short weeks and this is their last chance to pass COLA relief for seniors this year. Please call your Senators and Representative and tell them to oppose budget-driven Social Security benefit cuts and put much needed $250 checks into the hands of older Americans by supporting H.R. 5987 and S. 1685.The National Committee?s toll free Legislative Hotline will connect you with your members of Congress with one simple call: