Obama White House Posts Agenda for Senior Citizen
Programs; No Taxes for Seniors Earning Under $50M
Strongly opposed to privatizing Social Security, will
ask those making over $250,000 to contribute a bit more to Social
Security to keep it sound
Feb. 16, 2009 – The White House has posted an
“Agenda” on WhiteHouse.gov that includes a heading for “Seniors & Social
Security,” although it covers more than just the administration’s views
on the retirement program.
About the Agenda, the White House says, “Each
President is confronted with new and unique challenges. Learn more about
the Obama-Biden Administration's positions on everything from health
care and the economy to alternative energy and foreign policy.”
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Senior Citizen Opinions & Analysis
Obama Does Not Mention Social Security or Medicare
in Inaugural; Seniors Should Speak Out
He does ask for public input; New Public Liaison &
Intergovernmental Affairs, daily blog seem to be best online places to
respond
By Tucker Sutherland, editor & publisher
Jan. 21, 2009
Senior Citizen Opinions & Analysis
President Obama
Appears Poised to Tackle the Future of Senior Citizen Programs Quickly
We can’t kick this can any further down the street, the
new president says
By Tucker Sutherland, editor & publisher
Jan. 20, 2009
Tom
Daschle Withdraws from Consideration to be Secretary of Health and Human
Services
 New
York Times, Washington Post editorials may have tipped the scale against
him
Feb. 3, 2009
Democrats, Obama Likely to Seek Changes to Medicare
Advantage, Prescription Drug Benefit
 Democratic
lawmakers 'aiming to change elements' of Medicare prescription drug
benefit, such as the so-called "doughnut hole" coverage gap
Dec. 15, 2008
Read more
on
> Politics for Senior Citizens
>
Medicare
>
Medicare Drug Program |
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One of the proposals likely to get wide support
from many retired citizens call for the elimination of all income taxes
for senior citizens earning less than $50,000 per year.
“This will provide an immediate tax cut averaging
$1,400 to 7 million seniors and relieve millions from the burden of
filing tax returns,” according to the statement on the Website.
Medicare, and proposed changes in the health
insurance program, are covered under the section on “Affordable Health
Care.”
President Obama did not mention Social Security or
Medicare in his inaugural address, which has alarmed some seniors that
these critical programs and slipped significantly on the new
administration’s agenda. This is not, however, totally unexpected with
the mushrooming economic problems being fought by the federal
government.
|
Obama Targeting Social Security, Medicare to Constrain Government
Spending
Jan.
8, 2009 – The cross hairs of President-elect Barack Obama’s aim on
containing federal spending is clearly on overhauling Social Security
and Medicare, according to a report by the New York Times.
This is the first time Obama has made it clear “he
would wade into the thorny politics of entitlement programs,” according
to the Times.
“Speaking at a news conference in Washington, he
provided no details of his approach to rein in Social Security and
Medicare, which are projected to consume a growing share of government
spending as the baby boom generation ages into retirement over the next
two decades. But he said he would have more to say about the issue when
he unveiled a budget next month.”
>>
More at New York Times |
Certainly, too, a delay in action on these programs
has been slowed by the failure of the administration to name a Secretary
of Health and Human Services. The original nominee, Sen. Tom Daschle,
withdrew after controversy developed over his late payment of some
federal income taxes.
Another heading in the agenda is for
“Disabilities,” which does include at least one idea that is very
important to many senior citizens.
The paragraph says,
“…support independent, community-based living for Americans with
disabilities by enforcing the Community Choice Act, which would
allow Americans with significant disabilities the choice of living in
their community rather than having to live in a nursing home or other
institution, creating a voluntary, budget-neutral national insurance
program to help adults who have or develop functional disabilities to
remain independent and in their communities, and streamline the Social
Security approval process.”
Below is the complete content from the page on
February 16, 2009. A link to this page and future updates can be found
at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda.
SENIORS & SOCIAL SECURITY
Protect Social Security
President Obama and Vice
President Biden are committed to ensuring Social Security is solvent and
viable for the American people, now and in the future. Obama and Biden
will be honest with the American people about the long-term solvency of
Social Security and the ways we can address the shortfall. They will
protect Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries
alike, and they do not believe it is necessary or fair to hardworking
seniors to raise the retirement age.
Obama and Biden are strongly
opposed to privatizing Social Security.
As part of a bipartisan plan
that would be phased in over many years, they will ask those making over
$250,000 to contribute a bit more to Social Security to keep it sound.
Obama does not support
uncapping the full payroll tax 12.4 percent rate. Instead, he and Joe
Biden are considering plans that will ask those making over $250,000 to
pay in the range of 2 to 4 percent more in total (combined employer and
employee).
Strengthen Retirement
Savings
● Reform Corporate
Bankruptcy Laws to Protect Workers and Retirees: Current bankruptcy
laws protect banks before workers. Obama and Biden will protect pensions
by putting promises to workers higher on the list of debts that
companies cannot shed; ensuring that the bankruptcy courts do not demand
more sacrifice from workers than executives; telling companies that they
cannot issue executive bonuses while cutting worker pensions; increasing
the amount of unpaid wages and benefits workers can claim in court; and
limiting the circumstances under which retiree benefits can be reduced.
● Require Full
Disclosure of Company Pension Investments: Obama and Biden will
ensure that all employees who have company pensions receive detailed
annual disclosures about their pension fund's investments. This will
provide retirees important resources to make their pension fund more
secure.
● Eliminate Income Taxes
for Seniors Making Less Than $50,000: Obama and Biden will eliminate
all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 per year. This
will provide an immediate tax cut averaging $1,400 to 7 million seniors
and relieve millions from the burden of filing tax returns.
● Create Automatic
Workplace Pensions: The Obama-Biden retirement security plan will
automatically enroll workers in a workplace pension plan. Under their
plan, employers who do not currently offer a retirement plan will be
required to enroll their employees in a direct-deposit IRA account that
is compatible with existing direct-deposit payroll systems. Employees
may opt-out if they choose. Experts estimate that this program will
increase the savings participation rate for low and middle-income
workers from its current 15 percent level to around 80 percent.
● Expand Retirement
Savings Incentives for Working Families: Obama and Biden will ensure
savings incentives are fair to all workers by creating a generous
savings match for low and middle-income Americans. Their plan will match
50 percent of the first $1,000 of savings for families that earn less
than $75,000. The savings match will be automatically deposited into
designated personal accounts. Over 80 percent of these savings
incentives will go to new savers.
● Prevent Age
Discrimination: Obama and Biden will fight job discrimination for
aging employees by strengthening the Age Discrimination in Employment
Act and empowering the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to
prevent all forms of discrimination.
Affordable Health Care
● Provide Cheaper
Prescription Drugs: Our seniors pay the highest prices in the world
for brand-name drugs. To lower drug costs, Obama and Biden will allow
the federal government to negotiate for lower drug prices for the
Medicare program, just as it does to lower prices for our veterans. They
also support allowing seniors to import safe prescription drugs from
overseas, and will prevent pharmaceutical companies from blocking cheap
and safe generic drugs from the market.
● Protect and Strengthen
Medicare: Obama and Biden are committed to the long-term strength of
the Medicare program. They will reduce waste in the Medicare system --
in part by eliminating subsidies to the private insurance Medicare
Advantage program -- and tackle fundamental health care reform to
improve the quality and efficiency of our healthcare system. They
support closing the "doughnut hole" in the Medicare Part D prescription
drug program.
● Provide Transparency
to Medicare Prescription Drug Plans: Many seniors are enrolled in
Medicare prescription drug plans that are actually more expensive for
them than other available plans. Obama and Biden will require companies
to send Medicare beneficiaries a full list of the drugs and fees they
paid the previous year to help seniors determine which plans can better
reduce their out-of-pocket costs and improve their health.
● Strengthen Long-Term
Care Options: Obama and Biden will work to give seniors choices
about their care, consistent with their needs, and not biased towards
institutional care. They will work to reform the financing of long term
care to protect seniors and families, and to improve the quality of
elder care by training more nurses and health care workers.
Protect and Honor Seniors
● Ensure Heating
Assistance: Obama and Biden will increase funding for the Low Income
Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which helps low-income citizens
-- many of them seniors -- pay their winter heating and summer cooling
bills.
● Support Senior
Volunteer Efforts: Retired Americans have a wide range of skills and
knowledge to contribute to local and national public service efforts.
Obama and Biden will engage more interested seniors in public service
opportunities by expanding and improving programs like Senior Corps to
connect seniors with quality volunteer opportunities.
