Issue Position: Seniors

Issue Position

Our nation owes its success to those who have come before us. Congresswoman Slaughter believes that we must take care of our seniors who have contributed so much to our communities and country. She will remain on the frontlines in the fight to provide our nation's seniors with the health care and financial support they deserve.

Priorities

Preserving Social Security: Congresswoman Slaughter is committed to protecting Social Security as one of the pillars of our social security net. This visionary program provides older Americans with the supplemental income necessary to achieve a healthy, stable retirement and has dramatically reduced poverty among older Americans. Without Social Security, one out of every two seniors would fall into poverty. Congresswoman Slaughter will continue to work to ensure that the people who paid into Social Security get their earned benefits.

Protecting Medicare: Congresswoman Slaughter believes it is critical that seniors have access to affordable health care when they need it the most. Medicare is a national social insurance Congresswoman Slaughter Speaks with a Constituent Outside in Springprogram that provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older. Congresswoman Slaughter has worked on numerous fronts to ensure seniors are able to turn to Medicare for their health needs without fear of finding their benefits reduced or eliminated.

Fighting Fraud: Congresswoman Slaughter is dedicated to ensuring seniors are protected from exploitation and scams. It is unconscionable that fraudsters take advantage of older Americans for personal gain. Congresswoman Slaughter will continue working with communities and members of Congress to raise awareness and end these crimes.

Accomplishments

Oppose Cuts to Social Security: In contrast to countless examples of Republican demands to slash Social Security funding, Congresswoman Slaughter has supported legislation to strengthen Social Security. She supports the No Loopholes in Social Security Act, which would lift the $113,700 cap on income subject to Social Security taxes. Currently, while the vast majority of Americans -- 94 percent -- must make payroll tax contributions on all of their wages, millionaires and billionaires only do so on the first $113,700 of their earnings. Additionally, the legislation would ensure Social Security benefits could be paid in full for the next 75 years by requiring all income above $250,000 to be taxed at the 6.2 percent rate.

Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Relief: Congresswoman Slaughter has supported efforts to provide relief to seniors from rising prices through COLA increases. After there was no COLA increase in 2009 or 2010, Congresswoman Slaughter co-sponsored legislation in 2010 that provided a onetime $250 payment to Social Security recipients in the absence of a COLA.

Affordable Care Act (ACA): Congresswoman Slaughter is proud to have a played a major role in the passage of the ACA in 2010. Since then, she has opposed efforts to repeal, undermine, or defund the law while working to improve it. The ACA is dramatically improving the quality of health care services for seniors, reducing prescription drug costs, and improving access to preventative services. Importantly, the ACA also closed the so-called "donut hole," the gap in coverage under Medicare Part D that has forced seniors to cover some drug costs out of pocket. Since the ACA was enacted, 9.4 million seniors and people with disabilities have saved over $15 billion on prescription drugs, an average of $1,598 per beneficiary. In 2014 alone, nearly 5.1 million seniors and people with disabilities saved $4.8 billion, or an average of $941 per beneficiary.

Fraud Prevention: Congresswoman Slaughter regularly reaches out to seniors to help connect them with the information and resources they need to avoid scams. She is also committed to convening national stakeholders and consumer protection groups to fight fraudulent activities. Congresswoman Slaughter is leading the fight to protect the financial security of Rochester's seniors. If you believe you are a victim of fraud, please contact her Rochester office at (585) 232-4850.

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