1 / 28

Challenges & Opportunities Facing Retirees

This legislative toolkit provides information on the challenges and opportunities facing retirees, including threats to Social Security and Medicare, and the potential for expansion and improvements. Find out about key committees and legislation to stay informed and take action.

mccann
Download Presentation

Challenges & Opportunities Facing Retirees

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Challenges & Opportunities Facing Retirees • Winter 2019 Legislative Toolkit

  2. CHALLENGE Social Security Threats • Raising the Retirement Age • Chained-CPI • Cutting benefits to SSDI beneficiaries • Cutting funding for SSA

  3. OPPORTUNITY Expand Social Security Caucus Senate Chairs: Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) & Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) House Chairs: Representatives John Larson (D-CT), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Conor Lamb (D-PA) and Teri Sewell (D-AL) • Created September 13, 2018 to prioritize the need to expand benefits, hold hearings and move legislation • 18 Senate members and over 130 House members joined

  4. OPPORTUNITY Social Security Expansion Bill The Alliance for Retired Americans supports Social Security expansion bills that contain the following: • Increases in benefits for all current and future beneficiaries • Adopts the CPI-E to ensure a more accurate measure to calculate Cost of Living Adjustments • Improves Benefits for Widows and Widowers ensuring surviving spouses receive 75% of the total household benefits. • Increased Minimum Benefits for low-wage workers • Improves Solvency byraising the payroll cap

  5. KNOW YOUR COMMITTEES: House Committee on Ways & Means Subcommittee on Social Security

  6. Subcommittee on Social Security Committee on Ways and Means Richard Neal (D-MA), Chair Kevin Brady (R-TX), Ranking Member Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) Linda Sanchez (D-CA) Brian Higgins (D-NY) Subcommittee On Social Security John Larson (D-CT), Chair Tom Reed (R-NY), Ranking Member Democratic Members Republican Members JodeyArrington (R-TX)Drew Ferguson (R-GA)Ron Estes (R-KS) Dan Kildee (D-MI)Brendan Boyle (D-PA)Brad Schneider (D-IN)

  7. KNOW YOUR COMMITTEES: Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions & Family Policy

  8. Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions & Family Policy Committee on Finance Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (IA) Bill Cassidy (LA) Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions & Family Policy Rob Portman (R-OH), Chair Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ranking Member Republicans Democrats Michael Bennet (CO) Robert Casey (PA) Catherine Cortez Masto (NV) James Lankford (OK) Todd Young (IN)

  9. CHALLENGE • Medicare Threats • Raising the age of eligibility • Voucher and Privatization • Medicare “redesign” • Means-Testing

  10. OPPORTUNITY • Medicare for All On July 19, 2018, Dems launched “Medicare for All” Caucus Democrats have discussed various ways to expand benefits, including • allowing Medicare as a “public option” on the health exchanges • allowing 55- to 64-year-olds to buy in to Medicare • creating a “single payer” system by gradually lowering the Medicare age • providing universal coverage, while protecting employer-sponsored plans

  11. OPPORTUNITY • Drug Price Negotiations • Drug Formulary • Drug Negotiations • S. 62 (Sen. Klobuchar, D-MN) • Drug Importation • S. 97 (Sen. Sanders, I-VT) • S. 61 (Sen. Grassley, R-IA)

  12. KNOW YOUR COMMITTEES: House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health

  13. Subcommittee on Health Committee on Ways and Means Richard Neal (D-MA), Chair Kevin Brady (R-TX), Ranking Member Social Security Subcommittee Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair Devin Nunes(R-CA), Ranking Member Mike Thompson (CA) Earl Blumenauer (OR) Ron Kind (WI) Brian Higgins (NY) Terri Sewell (AL) ) Democrats Republicans Vern Buchanan (FL) Adrian Smith (NE) Kenny Marchant (TX) Tom Reed (NY) Mike Kelly (PA) George Holding (NC) Judy Chu (CA) Dwight Evans (PA) Brad Schneider (IL) Jimmy Gomez (CA) Steve Horsford (NV)

  14. KNOW YOUR COMMITTEES: House Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health

  15. Subcommittee on Health Committee on Energy and Commerce Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chair Greg Waldon(R-OR), Ranking Member Subcommittee on Health Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Chair Michael Burgess (R-TX), Ranking Member G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Vice Chair Democrats Eliot Engel (NY) Doris Matsui (CA) Kathy Castor (FL) John Sarbanes (MD) Debbie Dingell (MI) Ann Kuster (NH) Nanette Baragan (CA) Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE) Ben Ray Lujan (NM) Kurt Schrader (OR) Joe Kennedy (MA) Peter Welch (VT) Bobby Rush (IL)

  16. Subcommittee on Health Committee on Energy and Commerce Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chair Greg Waldon(R-OR), Ranking Member Subcommittee on Health Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Chair Michael Burgess (R-TX), Ranking Member G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Vice Chair Republicans Fred Upton (MI) John Shimkus (IL) Brett Guthrie (KY) Morgan Griffith (VA) Markwayne Mullin (OK) Richard Hudson (NC) Buddy Carter (GA) Greg Gianforte (MT) Gus Bilirakis (FL) Billy Long (MO) Larry Bucshon (IN) Susan Brooks (IN)

  17. KNOW YOUR COMMITTEES: Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Health

  18. Subcommittee on Health Committee on Finance Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member Subcommittee on Health Pat Toomey (R-PA), Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ranking Member Republicans Democrats Chuck Grassley (IA) Pat Roberts (KS) Michael Enzi (WY) John Thune (SD) Richard Burr (NC) Johnny Isakson (GA) Rob Portman (OH) Bill Cassidy (LA) Robert Menendez (NJ) Maria Cantwell (WA) Tom Carper (DE) Ben Cardin (MD) Sherrod Brown (OH) Mark Warner (VA) Ron Wyden (OR) Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)

  19. CHALLENGE Multi-employer Pensions • Over 100 multiemployer pension plans are at risk of insolvency • 1.5 million retirees could lose benefits • Multiemployer insurance fund of PBGC to go bankrupt by 2025 • If multis fund fails, it would collapse PBGC (insures 28M under single employer and 10M under multis) • H.R. 397, the Rehabilitation of Multi-employers Act, would provide loans to financially troubled plans

  20. KNOW YOUR COMMITTEES: House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health Employment, Labor & Pensions

  21. Subcommittee on Health Employment Labor & Pensions Committee on Education and the Workforce Bobby Scott (D-VA), Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Ranking Member Subcommittee on Health Employment Labor & Pensions Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI), Ranking Member Democrats Joe Courtney (CT) Marcia Fudge (OH) Donald Norcross (NJ) Joe Morelle (NY) Susan Wild (PA) Josh Harder (CA) Lucy Bath (GA) Lauren Underwood (IL) Donna Shalala (FL) Andy Levin (MI) Haley Stevens (MI) Lori Trahan (MA)

  22. Subcommittee on Health Employment Labor & Pensions Committee on Education and the Workforce Bobby Scott (D-VA), Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Ranking Member Subcommittee on Health Employment Labor & Pensions Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI), Ranking Member Republicans Phil Roe (TN) Rick Allen (GA) Francis Rooney (FL) Jim Banks (IN) Russ Fulcher (ID) Van Taylor (TX) Steve Watkins (KS) Ron Wright (TX) Dan Meuser (PA) Dusty Johnson (SD)

  23. CHALLENGE United States Mexico, Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) President Trump signed the U.S. Mexico, Canada (USMCA) Agreement on November 30, 2018, also known as NAFTA 2.0. Congress must vote to approve it. • Locks in lengthy patents terms • Requires “evergreening” • Jeopardizes Congress’ ability to enact patent reform • Keeps drug prices high

  24. ACTION PLAN What Are We Going To Do? Four Point Plan to Apply Retiree Power • Get the FactsWith the Alliance fact sheets on NAFTA 2.0, Medicare Prescription Drugs, Multi-Employer Pensions and Social Security Expansion • Share Your StoryUsing the Alliance Storytelling Minikit, hone your message of how these issues affect your life. • Plan Your MeetingSchedule district lobby visits, make your asks and record visit with a photo • Share Your MeetingReport your visit to the Alliance, on social media and with letters to editors and editorials.

  25. ACTION ITEM Get The Facts Current Fact Sheets • NAFTA 2.0 • Medicare Prescription Drugs • Multi-Employer Pensions • Social Security Expansion

  26. ACTION ITEM Storytelling Telling your story is one of the most powerful tactics we have as organizers We need your story to build a retiree movement Story Starters • Cost of Medicines • Relief thanks to the ACA • Experience with ‘Donut Hole’ • Social Security • Caretaking family or friend

  27. ACTION ITEM Legislative Lobby Visits Six Asks for the 116th Congress • No Cuts to Medicare • No Cuts to Social Security • Expand Social Security • Lower Cost of Medicines • Protect Retiree Pensions

  28. ACTION ITEM Send us your Photos! • Please send photos of your lobby visits and events immediately after the action to: • mobilization@retiredamericans.org

More Related