He gradually gained backing from more of his fellow Republicans in the Senate, often persuading them one-by-one to make shows of support since last summer. Democrats in the Senate were essential to getting the legislation even out of the Finance Committee, which approved it with the support of 13 Democrats and six Republicans in July 2019. .Unlike income brackets that are adjusted annually, the income thresholds that subject Social Security income to taxation are fixed. Because of this, the number of Social Security recipients who are hit by the tax has increased substantially over the years as incomes have grown. .Instead they learned they received observation care, which is considered an outpatient service, and is billed under Medicare Part B. With that designation, patients can have higher out-of-pocket costs even though they may have the very same health problems as people admitted as inpatients. . What does it mean when a Member of Congress says he favors changing Medicare from a "fee-for-service" model to one where the patients would pay based on health outcomes? Is he suggesting that Medicare should stop covering treatments if the patient can't or doesn't improve? .What you can do: To sign a petition, click here. .Generations have watched big-government, socialist systems fail, one after another, in countries experimenting with soviet-style, centralized planning. Medicare-for-all would be no different, leading to longer wait times and lowered standards of care at an unsustainable cost to the American taxpayer. .Many expected immigration reform to be a focal point of the President's speech, however, his remarks on the topic were vague and very brief. In one short paragraph, he said, "Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have acted. I know that members of both parties in the House want to do the same … So let's get immigration reform done this year." TSCL has some serious concerns about comprehensive immigration reform, since it would further strain the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds. We strongly feel that any efforts to reform the system should include loophole-closing legislation that would prevent immigrants from receiving benefits based on a history of illegal work. .For tax year 2021, families claiming the Child Tax Credit will receive up to ,000 per qualifying child between the ages of 6 and 17 at the end of 202Under prior law, the amount of the credit was up to ,000 per qualifying child under the age of 17 at the end of the year. .Despite tightening the law, Congress did not fix a policy loophole that would be inadvertently triggered with the passage of comprehensive immigration reform legislation. When determining entitlement for insured status (10 years), and in calculating the initial retirement benefit amount, the Social Security Administration uses all reported earnings from covered employment in the United States, even if the earnings were from illegal or "unauthorized" work.