This week, House lawmakers remained in their home districts for the final week of the August recess. Meanwhile, The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) saw support grow for one key bill that would increase competition in the pharmaceutical industry and improve access to affordable prescription drugs.

August Recess Continues for House Lawmakers

This week, lawmakers in the House remained in their home districts to continue the summer recess. They are expected to return to Capitol Hill next Tuesday, September 4th. In the days ahead, many Members of Congress will be attending local events and hosting town hall meetings in their home districts. The Senior Citizens League encourages its supporters to attend these events and to ask important questions of their elected officials, like the following five...

1. Some lawmakers are advocating for paid leave legislation that would require new parents to trade their future Social Security retirement benefits for twelve weeks of parental leave. This would undermine the mission of the Social Security program, increase its insolvency, and permanently cut the retirement benefits of those who take paid leave. Do you think this is a responsible proposal?
2. Social Security beneficiaries received a 2% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) this year, but most have seen their benefit increases completely offset by higher Medicare Part B premiums. Do you support legislation that would give older Americans a more fair and adequate Social Security COLA?
3. In April, more than 150 House lawmakers proposed a budget blueprint that would have reformed the Medicare program and cut Social Security benefits by adopting the “chained” CPI, eliminating the COLA for some seniors, and raising the eligibility age. Did you support this budget blueprint, and if so, why?
4. The federal government negotiates prescription drug prices for Medicaid and for veterans, but it is barred from negotiating lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries. As a result, senior citizens enrolled in Part D often pay much higher prices for their prescriptions. What are you doing to correct this unfair policy?
5. Medicare is currently prohibited from covering most hearing, vision, and dental services, even though millions of seniors are afflicted with age-related hearing loss, low vision, and poor oral health. When left untreated, these conditions often result in serious injuries and complications. What do you feel should be done about this?

For information about town hall meetings near you in the days ahead, call the local offices of your elected officials. For contact information, click HERE.

Key Senate Bill Gains Support

This week, The Senior Citizens League was pleased to see support grow for one key bill that would improve access to affordable prescription drugs.

Two new cosponsors – Senator Cory Booker (NJ) and Senator Deb Fischer (NE) – signed on to the bipartisan CREATES Act (S. 974), bringing the total up to thirty in the Senate. If adopted, the bill 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 enthusiastically supports S. 974, and we will continue to advocate for its passage on Capitol Hill in the months ahead. For more information about this bill and others that have been backed by The Senior Citizens League, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website. For frequent progress updates, follow TSCL on Twitter.

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