Larry Hyland

Chairman

(TSCL) The Senior Citizens League

(P.O. Box 97173, Washington, D.C. 20090-7173)

 

The Social Security Guarantee Act

 

A Bill: "To guarantee the right of individuals

to receive Social Security benefits under

Title of the Social Security Act in full with

an accurate annual cost-of- living adjustment."

 

NOW BEFORE CONGRESS

 

Dear League Supporter,

 

No matter what kind of dangerous and irresponsible Social Security reform plan President Obama and Congress may attempt to enact . . . No matter how many more billions of dollars Congress takes from the Social Security Trust Fund . . . I have good news to report!

 

Social Security "Guarantee" legislation providing you with a WRITTEN GUARANTEE that your benefits will be paid in full and as you were promised IS NOW BEFORE CONGRESS.

 

Imagine what it would be like if you received a certificate similar to a stock certificate or CD that you could put in your safe deposit box – a certificate that GUARANTEES your benefits. That's almost exactly what will happen when this bill is passed into law – which is why I'm urging you to take this opportunity to sign the official Congressional Petition I've enclosed and rush it back to me.

 

Your legislative team at the League has been working with Members of Congress to pass COLA legislation that protects your benefits, gives you a minimum COLA and corrects the way that the COLA is calculated so it provides an accurate and fair increase each year.

 

The Bill before Congress is now more important than ever, as they focus on a massive Social Security COLA cut. Over a typical retirement, the average beneficiary will see their benefits reduced by over $20,970 if this cut is allowed to go into effect!

 

The Social Security Guarantee Act, introduced by Representative Walter Jones (NC-3) in this session of Congress, is an extraordinary first breakthrough for older Americans because it provides a written guarantee – in the form of a certificate – that Social Security recipients can keep in a safe place and count on. AND, it requires the government to CORRECT the inaccurate and unfair Social Security COLA.

 

The Social Security Guarantee Act, and the certificate you'll receive on passage, is as close to an IRON CLAD GUARANTEE as you can obtain! And, right now, we are working to make sure as many Members of Congress as possible support it.

 

We have already pulled out all the stops when it comes to lobbying Congress. In the past year we have visited approximately 100 offices on Capitol Hill, had personal one-on-one meetings with dozens of Members of Congress, and talked with well over 100 key Congressional staff members. In particular, we have focused on how the CURRENT Social Security COLA underpays seniors and how the new "Chained" COLA will make matters worse and will be potentially devastating to millions of seniors as it slashes benefits by $30, $50, $80 a month or more in the coming years.

 

Your legal and legislative team at the League has closely monitored and supported a variety of legislation over the last five years designed to provide some form of guarantee against Social Security benefit cuts.

 

But, put simply, The Social Security Guarantee Act is the best solution because it protects you from benefit cuts AND requires that you receive an accurate COLA each year!

 

As you know from my past letters, the current method for calculating the annual Social Security COLA is both inaccurate and unfair. Which is why Social Security recipients receive such a small COLA – or no COLA at all – when we all know prices have been rising!

 

And now they want to change the way the COLA is calculated and permanently reduce the amount you receive!

 

The Social Security Guarantee Act is exactly what we need to protect our benefits from these kinds of back door cuts and "technical" changes.

 

Which is why I strongly urge you to sign the [requested] enclosed petition supporting The Social Security Guarantee Act.

 

Your signature will show our lawmakers that Seniors stand united in demanding that our Social Security benefits must be guaranteed. Your petition says, in effect, that we don't trust you!

 

If you think I'm too cynical or distrustful, just take a look at the government's past record of miscalculations and broken promises on Social Security:

 

  Congress has already spent our Social Security Trust Fund reserves and replaced them with worthless IOU's;

 

  Congress has already taxed our benefits;

 

  Congress has already shortchanged us on our annual Cost-of-Living (COLA) increases, which is one reason why your COLA was zero for two years, and just 1.7% this year;

 

  Congress cut Social Security benefits to "Notch" babies (beneficiaries born from 1917 through 1926);

 

  In 1983 Congress ALSO cut the benefits of today's Baby Boomers by raising payroll taxes and the eligibility age;

 

  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Social Security Trustees recently forecast that the Trust Fund that pays Social Security Disability benefits will be completely insolvent in just three years, by 2016.

 

Which is why Seniors must speak out now.

 

Help me say in a loud and clear voice, "Before ANY Social Security reform, we FIRST want legislation that guarantees our current benefits won't be cut!"

 

That's why we are contacting hundreds of thousands of seniors to mobilize a grassroots army in support of The Social Security Guarantee Act. I urge you to please return your signed Petition to me immediately in the envelope I've provided.

 

There is tremendous power in numbers and my goal is to deliver one million Petitions to the new Congress asking them to support and vote "YES" to The Social Security Guarantee Act.

 

And, because this campaign is so vital to the future financial security of current retirees, I urge you to make a special emergency contribution to help me collect petition signatures and deliver them to Congress.

 

Even though many Americans who receive this letter will sign the Petition, some won't be able to contribute. That's why it's vital you send $10, $15, $25, or even more if you can.

 

Please respond right away with your signed Petition. And please help with your very best contribution [Click to Sign a Petition Online].

 

No matter how much you send – whether $10, $5, $15, or $25, your contribution is urgently needed and will be deeply appreciated. We have an expensive battle in Congress to fight. I know you will do the best you can (TSCL, P.O. Box 97173, Washington, D.C. 20090-7173).

 

Fighting For our benefits Guarantee,

Larry Hyland

Chairman

 

P.S. We must act NOW. When Congress passes The Social Security Guarantee Act it will be the first time since the beginning of Social Security that your benefits are protected from cuts.

 

Remember – by demanding the government give you a certificate that guarantees your benefits, we are doing no more than asking them to put in writing the promises they already made . . .

 

And, with the threat of a COLA change that will reduce the COLA even further, and with the Guarantee Bill before Congress, NOW is the time to act!

 

[Click to Sign a Petition Online]

 

********************

 

(Sample)

Official Congressional Petition

 

The Social Security Guarantee Act –

Bill Now Before Congress!!!

 

A BILL: "To guarantee the right of individuals to receive Social

Security benefits under title II of the Social Security Act in full

with an accurate annual cost-of-living adjustment."

 

TO: U.S. Senators ________________

and ________________, and

U.S. Representative ________________

 

I support efforts to make Social Security more stable and secure, but the Social Security reform proposals being discussed and debated in Washington are both dangerous and unfair to current Social Security recipients. You MUST co-sponsor, support and vote for The Social Security Guarantee Act now before Congress and endorsed by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) on behalf of the millions of older Americans who are currently struggling to survive on benefits that ALREADY fail to keep abreast of skyrocketing medical, healthcare and Medicare costs.

 

As one of the many supporters of TSCL who reside in your constituency, I strongly urge you to oppose any Social Security reform effort until FIRST passing into law The Social Security Guarantee Act or a similar legislative protection that provides the strongest guarantee available under law that Social Security benefits will NOT be cut and that the annual COLA will be set at a fair and accurate level. In summary there should be:

 

  NO cuts of the type suggested by deficit reduction plans!

  NO use of the lower "Chained" COLA

  NO Social Security COLA freezes, reductions, or cancellations!

  NO Social Security benefits to illegal aliens!

  MOST IMPORTANTLY, I eagerly await your prompt vote of "YES" to The Social Security Guarantee Act.

 

Signed__________________________________