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Social Security's 77th Birthday
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August 20, 2012
Dear Friends,
As we celebrate the Social Security Act’s 77th Birthday, I wanted to make you aware of my efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives to preserve and strengthen this safety net, which provides benefits to over 160,000 individuals in Southeastern North Carolina. You are welcome to share this timely information with your colleagues, neighbors, or other interested North Carolinians.
I am pleased to tell you that I am a co-sponsor of the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act, H.R. 2365, which would make Social Security benefits more responsive to the needs of today’s beneficiaries. Through this piece of legislation, the Social Security Administration (SSA) would use the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) to calculate the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Social Security payments. By using the CPI-E, the COLA would be able to better reflect a senior citizen’s spending habits on basic needs such as food, transportation, and medication. In addition, I have twice voted against Congressman Paul Ryan’s budget plans, which tried to privatize Social Security and gut Medicare.
I know how important the annual COLA is to our senior citizens, particularly as they face rising costs in food, medications, and transportation. This became especially clear in 2009 and 2010, when there was a lack of cost-of-living raise for Social Security benefits, and I heard from many constituents during that time who were worried about making ends meet. I shared their concerns and worked hard to find ways to help those who desperately needed a modest increase, such as supporting a bill that provided some temporary relief in a one-time check of $250 for those receiving Social Security benefits.
Thankfully, late last year the Social Security Administration announced a 3.6 percent increase in the monthly Social Security benefits, beginning in December of 2011. This modest adjustment would provide direct relief to the 60 million Americans receiving Social Security benefits in 2012. Now I look forward to October, when the SSA will announce the cost-of-living adjustment for monthly benefits to be distributed starting in December of 2012.
The senior citizens of Southeastern North Carolina have worked hard for and earned their Social Security benefits, and now as your Representative in Washington, I am working hard to ensure you have access to the benefits you deserve. Rest assured that I will continue to stand with Southeastern North Carolina as we work to protect and preserve Social Security so that we can fulfill its most essential function: providing a safety net and security to the citizens of our great nation. Please contact Alyssa Dack, my Legislative Correspondent, at alyssa.dack@mail.house.gov, with any questions or comments on these important issues.
Sincerely,
U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre
Representing the 7th District of North Carolina
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