With over 1 million supporters, The Senior Citizens League is one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. Located just outside Washington, D.C., its mission is to promote and assist members and supporters, to educate and alert senior citizens about their rights and freedoms as U.S. Citizens, and to protect and defend the benefits senior citizens have earned and paid for. .Source: The Full Retirement Age is Increasing, Social Security Administration, July 23, 20http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/ageincrease.htm .This week, House lawmakers remained in their home districts to continue the August recess. Meanwhile, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow in the Senate for three bipartisan bills that would strengthen the Medicare program. .Eyeglasses, however, are not covered. If you are having difficulty affording a pair of glasses from brick and mortar stores, you may want to try shopping online. Zenni optical.com has eyeglasses starting as low as .95 for basic frames. Costco the wholesale club has high ratings for their optical section. According to Consumer Reports, the median price for a complete pair of eyeglasses, frames and lenses at Costco Optical is 4, the cost of membership not included. .Although Social Security and Medicare need some changes to enable the programs to continue paying scheduled benefits in a timely manner, TSCL believes that benefit reductions should not be imposed on people who have already retired, or are close to retirement. Other deficit reduction options exist, and Congress needs to allow time for the public to more fully learn about the proposals, consider the choices, and have an opportunity to provide input to elected lawmakers. .The House passed the bill yesterday and the Senate is expected to take it up next week. .Florida's contact tracing program has been mired in controversy over reports that it is understaffed and ineffective. For instance, CNN called 27 Floridians who tested positive for COVID-19 and found that only five had been contacted by health authorities. (The Florida Department of Health did not respond to requests for an interview.) .TSCL's all-volunteer Board of Trustees and legislative team – including former Congressman David Funderburk and Mrs. Betty Funderburk – look forward to working with both new and veteran lawmakers on the issues that are important to senior citizens, like those mentioned above. We will work tirelessly in the 113th Congress to ensure that seniors receive the retirement security they have earned and deserve. .As a nonpartisan grassroots organization, we make our policy decisions based on only one thing: what is best for senior citizens.