URGENT ALERT ON THE SOCIAL SECURITY EARNINGS LIMIT
FROM: James Gashel
Director of Governmental Affairs
National Federation of the Blind
Please give this urgent alert notice the widest possible
distribution and do all in your power to act upon it now!!! The
information below does not diminish in any way the need to
contact Senators about the same issue. If anything, it increases
the urgency of doing so. Congress--and I do mean both the House
of Representatives and the Senate--is clearly moving toward an
agreement on changing the earnings limit. All of the signs point
in the direction that it could happen in the rush to pass
significant legislation before the end of this year. Therefore,
the pressure is on all of us to act now!!!
The Social Security Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means
Committee has scheduled a mark-up session on the Social Security
earnings limit for 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28 in Room B 318 of
the Rayburn House Office Building. A list of the Social Security
Subcommittee members is the first document following this notice.
The fax number and key staff contact is given for most of these
members. Although constituent contacts should be emphasized, the
issue to be voted on--the Social Security earnings limit--is not
limited to Congressional district. Therefore, everyone who
receives this notice should be sure that a significant number of
contacts are made with all of the subcommittee members regardless
of the state involved.
A bill, H.R. 2668 by Mr. Bunning, introduced on Monday, Nov.
20, is expected to be the starting point for the mark-up.
Section 2 (b)(2) of this bill is a so-called "conforming
amendment" which is the standard linkage breaking provision. In
response to this move, Congresswoman Barbara Kennelly is
preparing to offer a linkage-retention amendment. It is not
possible at this early stage to give you the precise language or
section numbers being changed. The amendment will, however, be
drafted so that it is paid for under the Congressional Budget
Office scoring rules.
All members of the Social Security Subcommittee should be
contacted immediately and often until this mark-up has occurred.
They should be urged to vote for the linkage-retention amendment
by Mrs. Kennelly. The text of a letter, suitable for
modification and re-use, follows the list of the Social Security
Subcommittee members. Finally, you will find a "cosigners list,"
and a "possible supporters list." These lists indicate that the
linkage policy is already supported by one member short of a
majority on the Social Security Subcommittee and by two members
more than a majority on the full Committee on Ways and Means.
All members on the Social Security Subcommittee should
especially be contacted before the Nov. 28 mark-up session.
After that time, it may be necessary to contact all members of
the full Committee on Ways and Means. A complete list of the
House Ways and Means Committee members appears after the other
lists mentioned above. Those members who are listed as
"cosigners" and "possible supporters" should be thanked and
reenforced. Those not listed should be urged to make a favorable
commitment to the linkage-retention policy. Mark-up in the full
Ways and Means Committee is expected to occur quite soon after
the Subcommittee mark-up. Therefore, please provide me with the
best information you can gather on how each member (subcommittee
and full committee) is likely to vote on a linkage-retention
amendment. Mrs. Kennelly needs the best information of this type
that she can get from us as soon as possible.
SOCIAL SECURITY SUBCOMMITTEE
(Note: The members of the Social Security Subcommittee, listed
in the order of their ranking, are shown below. To the extent
the information is available, fax numbers and staff contacts are
identified.)
Jim Bunning
KY
David A. York
Phone: (202) 225-3465
Fax: (202) 225-0003
Sam Johnson
TX
Michael Hanson
Phone: (202) 225-4201
Fax: (202) 225-1485
Mac Collins
GA
Bo Bryant
Phone: (202) 225-5901
Fax: (202) 225-2515
Rob Portman
OH
Wayne Lippert
Phone: (202) 225-3164
Fax: (202) 225-1992
Greg Laughlin
TX
Stephen Swan
Phone: (202) 225-2831
Fax: (202) 225-1108
Phil English
PA
Karen McGee
Phone: (202) 225-5406
Fax # not available
Jon Christensen
NE
Mark Fahleson
Phone: (202) 225-4155
Fax: (202) 225-3032
Andrew Jacobs
IN
Sandy Wise
Phone: (202) 225-4011
Fax: (202) 225-5680
Barbara Kennelly
CT
Adam Rak
Phone: (202) 225-2265
Fax: (202) 225-1031
L. F. Payne
VA
Ford Drummond
Phone: (202) 225-4711
Fax: (202) 226-1147
Richard Neal
MA
Kathleen Sullivan or Ann Brozek
Phone: (202) 225-5601
Fax: (202) 225-8112
DRAFT LETTER
Dear (insert name of Social Security Subcommittee member):
Please support Mrs. Kennelly's "linkage-retention" amendment
when the bill to change the earnings limit under Social Security
is considered. The amendment will maintain the policy of present
law by which the earnings exemption for blind people and the
earnings exemption for senior citizens are statutorily linked.
For the reasons explained below, we hope that you will vote in
the affirmative.
Concerning the issue of cost: any change in the earnings
limit must be paid for by off setting revenues. This is true if
the change applies only to seniors or if blind people are
included as under present law. In fact, the Congressional Budget
Office scoring shows a much higher cost in raising the earnings
limit for seniors as compared to the cost for the blind. The
point is that the cost must be paid. Mrs. Kennelly's amendment
will do just that.
Question: When the threshold was increased in five mandatory
stages from 1977 through 1982, what was the cost to apply these
same changes to blind people as was done under Mr. Archer's 1977
amendment?
Answer: Inclusion of blind people had no measurable cost
impact. The same would be true now with Mrs. Kennelly's
amendment.
The rationale for reducing the penalty against earnings for
blind people is precisely the same as it is for seniors. Since
the time that Mr. Archer's amendment to create an identical
earnings limit for the blind and for seniors was passed in 1977,
all mandatory and automatic changes have applied to both groups
to exactly the same extent and at absolutely no additional cost.
The present earnings exemption is $11,280. Blind people
would still be limited to this while earnings of seniors could go
up without penalty. That differential will establish a policy of
keeping blind people out of the work force while inviting seniors
to keep working. The distinction being made is a cruel one.
Blind people, their family members, and their friends will
understand it that way.
If members who support the Senior Citizens' Equity Act want
to have equity for both blind people and seniors, it is possible
to do so with the costs being paid. Your vote in favor of Mrs.
Kennelly's amendment during mark-up will help to make this
happen.
Very truly yours,
HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
LIST OF COSIGNERS
(Note: The Ways and Means Committee members listed below have
indicated their support for maintaining the linkage of earnings
exemptions for blind people and seniors. They have done so in at
least one of the following ways: (1) cosponsoring House
Concurrent Resolution 23, by Mrs. Kennelly; (2) cosigning a
letter on the earnings limit linkage which was sent to House
Speaker Newt Gingrich; and (3) cosigning a letter on the earnings
limit linkage which was sent to Senate Finance Committee Chairman
Robert Packwood.)
Rep. Nancy L. Johnson
CT
Rep. Dick Zimmer
NJ
Rep. Jennifer Dunn
WA
Rep. Greg Laughlin
TX
Rep. Charles B. Rangel
NY
Rep. Andrew Jacobs
IN
Rep. Barbara B. Kennelly
CT
Rep. William J. Coyne
PA
Rep. Sander M. Levin
MI
Rep. Jim McDermott
WA
Rep. Gerald D. Kleczka
WI
Rep. John Lewis
GA
Rep. L. F. Payne
VA
Rep. Richard E. Neal
MA
HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
POSSIBLE SUPPORTERS LIST
(Note: The Ways and Means Committee members listed below have
expressed positive reactions to maintaining the linkage of
earnings exemptions for blind people and seniors. However, they
have not officially cosponsored or cosigned any communication to
this effect.)
Rep. Philip M. Crane
IL
Rep. Bill Thomas
CA
Rep. Amo Houghton
NY
Rep. Wally Herger
CA
Rep. Sam M. Gibbons
FL
Rep. Harold E. Ford
TN
Rep. Robert T. Matsui
CA
HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
104th CONGRESS
(in ranking order)
Note: There are 37 members on the House Ways and Means
Committee. 11 of these members serve on the Social Security
Subcommittee. These 11 members are identified. The address for
each of the following members is as follows:
Member Name
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Majority members:
Rep. Bill Archer Chairman
TX
202-225-2571
Rep. Philip M. Crane
IL
202-225-3711
Rep. Bill Thomas
CA
202-225-2915
Rep. E. Clay Shaw
FL
202-225-3026
Rep. Nancy L. Johnson
CT
202-225-4476
Rep. Jim Bunning
KY
Social Security Subcomm., Chairman
202-225-3465
Rep. Amo Houghton
NY
202-225-3161
Rep. Wally Herger
CA
202-225-3076
Rep. Jim McCrery
LA
202-225-2777
Rep. Mel Hancock
MO
202-225-6536
Rep. Dave Camp
MI
202-225-3561
Rep. Jim Ramstad
MN
202-225-2871
Rep. Dick Zimmer
NJ
202-225-5801
Rep. Jim Nussle
IA
202-225-2911
Rep. Sam Johnson
TX
Social Security Subcomm.
202-225-4201
Rep. Jennifer Dunn
WA
202-225-7761
Rep. Mac Collins
GA
Social Security Subcomm.
202-225-5901
Rep. Rob Portman
OH
Social Security Subcomm.
202-225-3164
Rep. Greg Laughlin
TX
Social Security Subcomm.
202-225-2831
Rep. Phil English
PA
Social Security Subcomm.
202-225-5406
Rep. John Ensign
NV
202-225-5965
Rep. Jon Christensen
NE
Social Security Subcomm.
202-225-4155
Minority Members:
Rep. Sam M. Gibbons--Ranking Minority Member
FL
202-225-3376
Rep. Charles B. Rangel
NY
202-225-4365
Rep. Pete Stark
CA
202-225-5065
Rep. Andrew Jacobs
IN
Social Security Subcomm.--Minority Chair
202-225-4011
Rep. Harold E. Ford
TN
202-225-3265
Rep. Robert T. Matsui
CA
202-225-7163
Rep. Barbara B. Kennelly
CT
Social Security Subcomm.
202-225-2265
Rep. William J. Coyne
PA
202-225-2301
Rep. Sander M. Levin
MI
202-225-4961
Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin
MD
202-225-4016
Rep. Jim McDermott
WA
202-225-3106
Rep. Gerald D. Kleczka
WI
202-225-4572
Rep. John Lewis
GA
202-225-3801
Rep. L. F. Payne
VA
Social Security Subcomm.
202-225-4711
Rep. Richard E. Neal
MA
Social Security Subcomm.
202-225-5601
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Dec 02 2012 - 01:30:03 PST