Both the Speaker of the House and the Senate President have made a commitment to schedule a vote on the Seniors Protection Act, H.R. 5987, when we return to work in Congress in November. And the White House announced Friday President Obama is also in support. Republicans in Washington oppose the payment, but I am hopeful that we will get it passed and those on Social Security will get their check.
Last year also, there was no cost-of-living increase. So, one of my first votes representing the people of the Northern Mariana Islands in Congress was for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which included a $250 payment for those on Social Security and disabled veterans. 2,570 people in the Northern Marianas received a check to help them through these tough times. The program pumped $642,420 into our local economy.
But there is a larger concern. Most of our seniors on Social Security would say that their cost of living has gone up over the last two years. Seniors face costs for medical care and prescription drugs that simply are not accounted for in the national Consumer Price Index that is used to decide on the annual cost-of-living adjustment.
That’s why I am also a co-sponsor of H.R. 2365, the Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers, or CPIEC, Act.
This measure requires the U.S. Department of Labor to prepare a separate Consumer Price Index for those age 62 and over, who may have expenses that are not captured in the regular Consumer Price Index. The bill also requires the new CPIEC to be used in the computation of cost-of-living increases for Social Security and Medicare benefits.
There are about 2,500 Social Security recipients in the Northern Mariana Islands and the number is growing. 1,500 are retirees, widows, and widowers, who are mostly elderly. The rest are disabled workers and children. Altogether, Social Security payments to these individuals exceed $15 million each year; and most of that money goes into our local economy.
We have to make sure that the Social Security system continues to provide the appropriate level of benefits to those who earned and need this help. And we have to make sure that efforts to privatize or otherwise dismantle the Social Security system are blocked in Congress.
GREGORIO KILILI
CAMACHO SABLAN
Member of the U.S. Congress
