This week, the fall congressional recess continued for lawmakers in the House and Senate.
Fall Congressional Recess Continues
This week, lawmakers remained in their home states and districts to continue campaigning for the upcoming elections. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill in November to begin the lame duck session of Congress. Until then, most lawmakers will be attending local events and holding town hall meetings in their home states and districts.
The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) encourages its members and supporters to attend these events and to ask questions of their elected officials about important Social Security and Medicare issues, like the following four…
1. This year, Social Security beneficiaries received no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) despite a national survey indicating a majority reported higher costs. Do you support legislation that would give seniors an emergency COLA before the end of this year?
2. The federal government negotiates prescription drug prices for Medicaid and for veterans, but it is not allowed to negotiate lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries. Do you support this policy?
3. In January, one-third of all Medicare beneficiaries will see a Part B premium increase of 22 percent – the highest increase in 27 years. Do you believe Congress should take action like it did last year to prevent the dramatic increase?
4. If the Social Security COLA were based on a more accurate measure of inflation for senior citizens, next year’s increase would not be 0.3 percent – it would be 2.1 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Do you support legislation that would base the COLA on a more accurate inflation index like the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly?
The following Members of Congress, among many others, will be holding town hall meetings in the days ahead: Reps. Randy Hultgren (IL-14), Gary Palmer (AL-6), Lamar Smith (TX-21), Garret Graves (LA-6), Bruce Westerman (AR-4), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), and Ed Perlmutter (CO-7).
For details, or to see if your Members of Congress will be holding town hall meetings before the November elections, call their local offices. You can find contact information HERE. For more sample town hall questions, click HERE.
