This week, two lawmakers in the Senate introduced a bill that would strengthen and improve the Social Security program for decades to come. In addition, several key bills gained cosponsors in the House and Senate.
Senators Introduce Social Security Reform Bill
This week, two lawmakers in the Senate – Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD) – introduced legislation called the Social Security 2100 Act (S. 2671) that would strengthen Social Security benefits and extend the solvency of the program’s trust funds for decades to come.
If signed into law, their bill would provide beneficiaries with a 2 percent benefit boost, base cost-of-living adjustments on the more accurate Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, create a new minimum benefit set at 125 percent of the poverty line, and eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits for millions of seniors. To cover the cost of those changes and extend the solvency of the program through the year 2100, the bill would apply the payroll tax to annual income over $400,000, and it would gradually increase the payroll tax rate by 0.25 percent – a modest amount that would cost the average individual an extra fifty cents per week.
Upon introducing the bill this week, Senator Blumenthal said: “The Social Security 2100 Act will not only keep Social Security solvent for the next 75 years – it will allow for an expansion in hard-earned benefits.” In addition, Congressman John Larson (CT-1) – the sponsor of the bill in the House – said: “The Senators and I are committed to taking common sense steps to expand benefits and keep Social Security solvent for the next 75 years and beyond. The Social Security 2100 Act will do just that, without adding a penny to the national debt.”
The Senior Citizens League enthusiastically supports the Social Security 2100 Act since it would strengthen and reform the program responsibly, without cutting benefits for older Americans. We thank Senator Blumenthal and Senator Van Hollen for their leadership in the Senate, and we look forward to working with their offices in the months ahead to help build support for their important new bill. For progress updates, follow TSCL on Twitter or visit the Bill Tracking section of our website.
Four Key Bills Gain Support
This week, The Senior Citizens League was pleased to see support grow for four key bills.
Five new cosponsors signed on in support of the Social Security Fairness Act (S. 915, H.R. 1205), bringing the total up to 180 in the House and twenty-three in the Senate. The new cosponsors are Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL), Representative Scott Tipton (CO-3), Representative Tom Cole (OK-4), Representative Richard Hudson (NC-8), and Representative Nanette Barragan (CA-44). If adopted, the Social Security Fairness Act – sponsored by Representative Rodney Davis (IL-13) in the House and Senator Sherrod Brown (OH) in the Senate – would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. Those two provisions unfairly reduce the earned Social Security benefits of millions of teachers, police officers, and other public servants each year.
In addition, the Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing Act of 2018 (H.R. 4841) gained three new cosponsors this week in Representative Jim Renacci (OH-16), Representative Mike Bishop (MI-8), and Representative Mike Kelly (PA-3), bringing the new cosponsor total to fourteen. If signed into law, H.R. 4841 from Representative David Schweikert (AZ-6) would allow for and standardize electronic prior authorization (ePA) for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
One new cosponsor – Representative Judy Chu (CA-27) – also signed on to the Expanding Access to Evidence-Based Opioid Treatment for Seniors Act (H.R. 5083) this week, bringing the total up to seven. This new bill from Representative Richard Neal (MA-1) would direct the Medicare program to cover certain services provided by opioid addiction treatment programs.
Finally, four new cosponsors – Senator Sherrod Brown (OH), Senator Lindsay Graham (SC), Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), and Representative Bob Gibbs (OH-7) – signed on as cosponsors of the bipartisan CREATES Act (S. 974, H.R. 2212). If adopted, the bill – introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (VT) and Representative Tom Marino (PA-10) – would increase competition in the prescription drug industry by encouraging generic and biosimilar drug manufacturers to introduce their products to the market more quickly.
The Senior Citizens League thanks the new cosponsors of these important bills for their support, and we look forward to working with their offices in the months ahead to help sign these bills into law. For more information about these and other bills, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website.
