Congressional Pay Grows 15 Times Faster Than Social Security Checks

/PRNewswire/ -- Seniors who retired in 1990 with the average Social Security benefit have seen their annual payments increase by just $4,967 over the past 20 years. During the same time period, members of Congress have awarded themselves pay raises totaling $77,400 per year - a whopping 1,458 percent more than seniors.

The analysis was conducted by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors advocacy groups with 1.2 million supporters.

According to the Social Security Administration, a senior receiving the average Social Security benefit in 1990 received $554.50 per month. A TSCL analysis found that the same senior is receiving a monthly benefit of $968.40 today, due to the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) intended to help seniors keep up with inflation.

ANNUAL PAY IN ANNUAL PAY IN                 % MORE THAN
                   1990          2010          INCREASE,       SENIORS
                                               1990 - 2010
                                               (IN DOLLARS)

   AVERAGE SENIOR         $6,654       $11,621          $4,967         N/A
  SOCIAL SECURITY
     (RETIRED IN
        1990)

      HOUSE OF
   REPRESENTATIVES       $96,600      $174,000         $77,400       1,458%


      SENATORS           $98,400      $174,000         $75,600       1,422%

*Note: Members of the House of Representatives have had a greater salary increase than Senators since 1990 because their base pay in 1990 was slightly lower.

For the first time since the automatic Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) was introduced in 1975, seniors are receiving no COLA this year. Lawmakers, however, receive an automatic pay raise each year without having to cast a vote for it; instead, they would have to vote to block their annual pay raise. Lawmakers continue to enjoy massive wealth - a 2008 study by the Center for Responsive Politics reported that fully 61 of 100 senators were millionaires.

"This is a perfect example of the two types of rules we've gotten too used to seeing - those that politicians make for themselves, and those they make for the rest of us," said Daniel O'Connell, chairman of The Senior Citizens League. "As lawmakers enjoy their six-figure incomes, they've too often turned a blind eye to the desperate plight of America's seniors, who are struggling harder than ever to make ends meet."

TSCL supports H.R. 4720, the "Taking Responsibility for Congressional Pay Act," introduced by Arizona Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. The bill currently has 27 co-sponsors.

The proposal would cut congressional pay by five percent next year, representing the first pay cut for lawmakers since the Great Depression. The $8,700-per-lawmaker cut would save taxpayers more than $4.6 million.

TSCL encourages its members to contact their lawmakers and request that they co-sponsor the bill.

"Although the majority of lawmakers are happy with the status quo, more than two dozen have already supported a congressional pay cut. We believe that these lawmakers - truly great role models who are willing to endure personal sacrifice during these difficult economic times - deserve our gratitude," said Shannon Benton, TSCL's executive director. "Therefore, we will post the names of all of this bill's supporters to our website, at www.SeniorsLeague.org."

With 1.2 million supporters, The Senior Citizens League (www.SeniorsLeague.org) is one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. TSCL is a proud affiliate of The Retired Enlisted Association.

Seniors Coalition: 'Mr. President, Senior Citizens Cannot and Will Not Bail You Out'

/Standard Newswire/ -- The Seniors Coalition, which represents the interests of over four million American senior citizens, today blasted comments by President Obama indicating that he would entertain the idea of cutting Social Security benefits in order to pay for his domestic spending priorities and bring down the federal budget deficit. The President's comments were made to BusinessWeek magazine.

"The President's willingness to pay for his spending spree by slashing Social Security benefits is yet
another direct attack on America's senior citizens and the Seniors Coalition will oppose it using every
resource we can muster," says Phil Theodosiou, The Seniors Coalition's Executive Director. "The Obama Administration has thrown fiscal responsibility completely out the window and now that the President needs more money to continue with his reckless policies he is looking to the elderly to bail him out. Mr. President, seniors citizens cannot and will not bail you out."

"In order to bring down the deficit the Administration needs to start at the top and begin cutting. No more
taxpayer cars for members of Congress. Cut back on the number of aides following the First Lady around. Then, use all repaid TARP money to pay down the deficit and simply not spend the hundreds of billions dollars in wasteful stimulus money that has not been spent. The fact that the administration will not even take these simple steps shows that President Obama is not serious about deficit reduction and is simply looking to use Social Security as another source of cash for his domestic spending spree," Theodosiou says. "And perhaps most importantly, the government must pay back the iou's to the social security trust fund now. That will be a great start in helping main street."

The Seniors Coalition is the nation's leading free- market senior education and advocacy organization
representing more than 4 million seniors. The mission of The Seniors Coalition (TSC) is to protect
the quality of life and economic well-being that older Americans have earned while supporting common
sense solutions to the challenges of the future. To that end, TSC lobbies government at both the federal and state levels.

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Medicare Report Confirms Health Care Takeover Plan is a Fiscal Disaster

/PRNewswire/ -- A new report released by the Medicare Chief Actuary, Richard Foster, and the Center for Medicaid Services, the federal agency that oversees Medicaid, says that the proposed health care overhaul plan will dramatically increase health care costs and senior citizens will suffer from Medicare cuts.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins made the following comments:

"The Medicare number crunchers are admitting what we've known all along - that this $2.5 trillion bill is a fiscal disaster that will dramatically raise costs and likely cut health care access for senior citizens.

"A spending spree of this magnitude will have consequences because our country doesn't have an unlimited supply of money. This sobering report alone should be enough to convince every Senator and Congressman to oppose this bill. In addition, this health care takeover will increase taxes by almost $500 billion, and further hurt job growth by imposing $28 billion in new taxes on employers.

"The Senate plan also takes a slap at married couples by imposing a marriage penalty on couples making more than $250,000 a year. Cohabiting couples, on the other hand, are free to make $200,000 each before getting slammed by the same tax. The marriage penalty strikes at the core strength of our country - the married family unit which is the greatest generator of human goods and social benefits to our nation."

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AAHSA Statement on Passage of Bennet Health Reform Amendment

/PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) commends the Senate for passing Sen. Michael Bennet's (D-Colo.) amendment, which reassures seniors by protecting guaranteed benefits, and strengthens Medicare by keeping savings within the program.

"With the silver tsunami of retiring baby boomers fast approaching, it's important for health care reform legislation currently before Congress to address Medicare's solvency," said Larry Minnix, CEO of AAHSA. "We applaud Sen. Bennet's common-sense solution to preserve the promise of the Medicare program for many more years."

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RetireSafe Calls AARP's Support of House Bill the Greatest Fraud Against Seniors in the 21st Century

/PRNewswire/ -- In a statement released today, RetireSafe President Thair Phillips calls AARP's endorsement of the House health care bill the greatest fraud against seniors in the 21st century. He said, "AARP, easily the most influential seniors lobby, is using their clout to get a bill passed that will slash Medicare and ration the health care of seniors."

According to Phillips, it's a sham for AARP to throw its weight behind a bill most seniors do not support. He said, "AARP gets the major amount of its revenue from selling insurance and they DO have a dog in this fight. Instead of protecting their insurance coffers, AARP should be protecting the health of seniors, the very ones they are supposed to help."

Phillips contends that backing the 10-year, tax-hiking, $1.2 trillion House bill is a deceptive move for AARP, and its endorsement in today's highly politicized atmosphere will anger many of its members.

RetireSafe represents older Americans who are concerned about cuts in Medicare payments to medical providers. Visiting Congressional offices this week, the seniors' advocacy group is making a last ditch effort to impact the legislation. They met with senior advisors at the White House last month.

In a recent RetireSafe survey in their Listens campaign, over 1,500 older Americans expressed concern about the health care reform bill. Over half of the respondents, 60%, said there are not any groups who represent their interest in Washington; 93% said being able to choose the doctor they want is a top priority; while 64% felt having a public option was their lowest priority. RetireSafe launched the Listens campaign to give seniors across the country a chance to voice their strong opinions.

Phillips encourages older people looking for someone to turn to now, to visit RetireSafe's website at www.retiresafe.org, and get their voice heard and counted in the online survey.

According to Phillips, our leaders should listen to seniors as well as to common sense views of officials like Tennessee Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen, who was one of the governors who didn't sign a letter supporting the House bill. A former HMO executive, he has been perhaps the party's sharpest critic in the funding debate.

Said Phillips, "Gov. Bredesen, in an interview this September, called the potential expansion of Medicaid in health care reform 'the mother of all unfunded mandates... We can't print money. We can't borrow money. A lot of staffers in Congress really don't understand this idea of a balanced budget.' RetireSafe agrees."

With the help of AARP, House leaders may have the votes they need before the gavel falls Saturday. Said Phillips, "If so, older Americans are in for the sham of the century."

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New National Ad Campaign Targeting Congress, Seniors Say 'DON'T CUT MEDICARE!'

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, the 60 Plus Association released a new TV ad targeting the Democrat Congress' plan to cut Medicare by half a trillion dollars, and announced a phone call campaign into the districts of 78 Members of the House of Representatives.

The ad features members of our Greatest Generation begging Congress not to cut Medicare to pay for health care reform. The 30 second TV ad begins running nationally on cable today. See the ad at www.60plus.org.

The phone calls target Members of the House of Representatives and urge concerned citizens to call their Member and urge them not to cut Medicare.

"This bill adds 111 entitlements and the only one it cuts is Medicare, how is this fair to our greatest generation? Seniors have already lost their Social Security COLA and now Speaker Pelosi wants to cut Medicare, too. As yesterday's elections prove, seniors are upset. Seniors are taking a stand and say 'Don't cut our Medicare,'" said Jim Martin, president of 60 Plus.

Titled "Enough -- Congress" the ad highlights seniors speaking in their own words to the fact that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid want to cut up to $500 billion from Medicare. This could mean life-saving drugs could be withheld and seniors could even be prevented from seeing their own doctors.

The ad ends with a senior stating "Don't make us pay for health care reform by cutting Medicare. We've sacrificed enough."

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Statement from 60 Plus Association President Jim Martin on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's New Health Care Proposal

/PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from 60 Plus Association President Jim Martin:

"There is an old saying that a lie can travel half-way around the world before the truth can get its shoes on. The truth has its shoes on and is trying to catch up to Speaker Pelosi. I'm putting the wood to this lie right now, the Speaker's plan WILL hurt seniors by cutting half a trillion dollars from Medicare.

"Speaker Pelosi, I challenge you to tell the truth to our Greatest Generation, and be honest about the cuts to Medicare."

The 60 Plus Association is a 17-year-old nonpartisan organization working for death tax repeal, saving Social Security, affordable prescription drugs, lowering energy costs and other issues featuring a less government, less taxes approach. 60 Plus calls on support from nearly 5.5 million citizen activists. 60 Plus publishes a magazine, SENIOR VOICE, and a Scorecard, bestowing awards on lawmakers of both parties who vote "pro-senior." 60 Plus has been called, "an increasingly influential senior citizen's group" and since 1992 "the conservative alternative to the AARP."

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