Murphy Stands Up for Seniors, Fights Against Benefit Cuts

Press Release

As a member of the Seniors Task Force, U.S. Representative Patrick E. Murphy (FL-18) signed on to a recent letter with over 80 other House Democrats calling on Speaker Ryan to reject any Republican budget proposal that contains harmful cuts to seniors' earned benefits, threatens their health care access, or endangers the retirement security for millions of Americans like those found in his "Roadmap for America's Future." The letter requests that Congress instead focus on working together on policies that will protect seniors and provide security for future generations. (For a copy of the letter, click here).

Furthermore, Murphy joined a bipartisan group of over 60 members calling for the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, which for over 50 years has supported health care and independent living programs that provide aid to millions of American seniors, most of whom are low income. (For a copy of the letter, click here).

"Through a lifetime of hard work, our seniors helped make our nation great and earned the benefits that allow them to age with dignity. It is Congress' responsibility to keep our promises to them, not balance the budget on their backs," said Murphy. "As Congress continues to debate how best to bring the budget into balance, I will continue to stand up for seniors against attempts to cut their earned benefits. That starts with reauthorizing the Older Americans Act that provides critical care for our most vulnerable seniors, and I am pleased to see bipartisan support for advancing this critical bill."

Committed to protecting seniors and the millions of Americans who rely on Social Security, Murphy recently joined with Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (IL-08) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to introduce the SAVE Benefits Act to help seniors, veterans, and persons with disabilities make ends meet through a one-time emergency increase in benefits. Additionally, Murphy introduced the Social Security Parent Penalty Repeal Act to strengthen families, reduce the retirement security gender gap, and solidify our promise to seniors and joined with Seniors Task Force chairs U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Doris Matsui (CA-06) to introduce H. Res 393, a resolution to protect and expand Social Security benefits. As a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus' Task Force on Aging, he also introduced the Ruthie and Connie LGBT Elder Americans Act to improve the Older Americans Act to better serve LGBT seniors, who face higher rates of poverty, pronounced social isolation, and less access to health care due to barriers in the aging system and past discrimination. Furthermore, Murphy has been leading the charge in Congress to protect Medicare Advantage from cuts.

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