News

  • Ask The Advisor December 2015

    Last year, my office received reports of people coming up to the doors of our elders, posing as census takers or COVID testers, and requesting sensitive information like Social Security numbers and other forms of identification -- something that real census takers or health workers would never do. .Despite the efforts of TSCL and others, knowledge of the U.S – Mexico Totalization Agreement remains limited on Capitol Hill, and the issue flies under radar for the most part. TSCL has expressed its support for resolutions in opposition to the totalization agreement. In addition, TSCL is supportive of legislation, such as the Social Security Totalization Agreement Reform Act, which would grant more time for congressional review of these agreements. TSCL also supports loophole-closing legislation which would prevent individuals who worked in the U.S. while illegal from receiving credit for that work for purposes of Social Security benefit calculations. .If signed into law, H.R. 973 would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) – two federal provisions that unfairly reduce the earned Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, firefighters, peace officers, and other state or local government employees each year. … Continued

  • Legislative Update For The Week Ending August 19 2011 Feed

    "If you look at the science across all diseases, you see few outbreaks" on planes, Allen said. "It's not the hotbed of infectivity that people think it is." .The entire process is done at the taxpayer's expense. Non-citizens who worked under fraudulent or invalid Social Security numbers, are not penalized. This occurs even though the use of a non-valid fraudulent SSN is in violation of 1988 identity theft laws. The 1988 law made it a federal crime when a person "knowingly transfers or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable State or local law." (15) .First, one new cosponsor – Representative Conor Lamb (PA-18) – signed on to the Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 1902), bringing the total up to 17If adopted, H.R. 1902 would strengthen Social Security benefits by improving the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), increasing monthly benefits by 2 percent, creating a new Special Minimum Benefit equal to 125 percent of the poverty line, and providing a tax cut to millions of Social Security beneficiaries. To cover the cost of these changes and to extend the solvency of the program through the year 2100, it would apply the payroll tax to annual income over 0,000 and gradually increase the payroll tax rate by 0.25 percent. … Continued

The Social Security Expansion Act (S. 731), introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (VT). Like the 2100 Act, this bill would adopt the CPI-E and create a new minimum benefit to keep retirees out of poverty. It would also provide the average beneficiary with a per month benefit increase – an amount that TSCL believes is fair and necessary. In last month's issue of TSCL's Advisor, Sen. Sanders wrote: "Poll after poll has shown the American public supports expanding Social Security. Its time Congress listens to the American people … not the Wall Street millionaires who want to cut it." .Now there are ads in various parts of the country being run by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, accusing House Republicans of doing the bidding of drug industry donors by opposing the bill. Unremarked upon are the House Democrats who've also received money from the industry — and whose opposition is seen as potentially fatal to the legislation. .They claim that a "Buy American" order could raise domestic drug prices, since both labor and materials are much more expensive in the U.S. — which could cut against one of The President's signature health care planks going into the November election. .Key Bill Gains New Cosponsors .On the other hand, Bloomberg News has reported that, "The White House is backing away from a plan to send 0 prescription drug discount cards to American seniors before Election Day after widespread criticism the effort could violate election laws. .Obamacare is not the first government program in which major implementation glitches had disastrous consequences for large numbers of beneficiaries. In 1977 changes that Congress made to the Social Security benefit formula created a major inequity in benefits that cost retirees tens of thousands of dollars in Social. Seventeen Co-sponsors for The Notch Fairness Act While Congress has been holding hearings and considering changes to Social Security, TSCL has been successful in gaining co-sponsors for The Notch Fairness Act. The bill, introduced in the House and Senate by Representative Mike McIntyre (NC-17) and Senator David Vitter (LA), would provide Notch Babies born from 1917 through 1926 their choice of ,000 paid. Risk of Deeper Benefit Cuts When Congress Waits The Notch Fairness Act In House And Senate .The following Members of Congress, among many others, will be holding town hall meetings this week: Sen. Michael Crapo (ID), Sen. Jerry Moran (KS), Rep. John Ratcliffe (TX-4), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-1), Rep. Tom Cole (OK-4), Rep. Tom Emmer (MN-6), Rep. Tom Graves (GA-14), Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-1), Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-4), Rep. Susan Brooks (IN-5), and Rep. Robert Pittenger (NC-9). .This is a much longer legislative update than usual but there is a lot of information about the pricing of prescription drugs that we believe is important for you to know and that you might be interested in. .Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-2) introduced H.R. 4998 on June 26, 201It has since been referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.