Republicans block payment to seniors

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) released the following statement Wednesday after House Republicans refused to support the Seniors Protection Act.As we enter the second consecutive year without a cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security retirees and other beneficiaries, this legislation would have provided 54 million Social Security recipients with a one-time payment of $250 to help them make ends meet during these challenging times. "In this time of economic uncertainty, America's seniors, veterans and people with disabilities depend on Social Security to make ends meet. An estimated 13 million American seniors rely on Social Security to simply survive," said Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, who supported the legislation today (12/8/2010). "With so many elderly Americans living close to the poverty line, you can be sure that this payment would have had an important impact on our low-income seniors. It is unfortunate that congressional Republicans overwhelmingly chose to oppose this bill and continue to advocate for risky schemes like privatizing Social Security. I want to applaud my colleagues who supported this bill and reaffirm the commitment of Democrats to stand with our nation's seniors." H.R. 5987, the Seniors Protection Act, failed in the U.S. House of Representatives today, December 8, 2010, by a vote of 254 - 153. The bill was considered under rules for expedited consideration of legislation that require a two-thirds majority for passage instead of a simple majority.

********** Published: December 9, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 34