Seniors Determined to Protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security from Budget Cuts
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Seniors across the country are marching and lobbying to make sure lawmakers don’t use the debate on the debt ceiling as an opportunity to cut Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.
With the 46th anniversary of Medicare fast approaching on July 30, members of the Alliance for Retired Americans this week began a series of events nationwide to let their representatives know they do not want the money working people depend on in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to be used for another taxpayer handout to Wall Street and the rich. The Republican’s budget proposal would replace Medicare with underfunded vouchers for private insurance and cut both Medicaid and Social Security.
Sen. Cardin: New NLRB Rules Afford Workers the Right to Vote
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Speaking on the Senate floor, Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin (D) eloquently described why new rules proposed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last week would help level the playing field for financially struggling workers and their families. Statements supporting the proposed rule by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) follow.
“Mr. President, I rise today to praise the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for issuing new proposed rules that will modernize the process that workers use to form a union. These new rules will improve the consistency and efficiency of the election process [and] protect workers’ right to a timely vote….
America’s middle class is struggling. Hard-working families are finding it hard to make ends meet. We are recovering from the deepest recession since the Great Depression, and there are workers who are trying to achieve for their families what we all want: financial stability that keeps our families secure. However, as workers see their benefits, hours and pay being cut, they feel powerless. Meanwhile, executives can and do negotiate their employment contracts. Where is the fairness?
Unions can level the playing field for workers, but the process for choosing a union is outdated. Current NLRB election procedures produce extensive delays, encourage litigious stall tactics and provide opportunities for intimidation. Further, the organizational structure of the NLRB has created inconsistencies in the processing of the election petitions. It is time for the NLRB to address these important procedural shortcomings, and I am encouraged by their response.
One-Third of Americans Went Without Health Care in Past 2 Years
Nearly 87 million people—more than one-third all Americans under age 65—were without health insurance for at least part of the past two years. Most of the uninsured came from working families.
This compelling new evidence on the need for comprehensive health care reform, including coverage for all, is contained in a new report by the health care advocacy group, Families USA.
The report, “Americans at Risk,” found that most of the uninsured lacked coverage for lengthy periods of time: 74.5 percent were uninsured for at least six months, and six in 10 were uninsured for nine months or more. More than half (52 percent) of individuals and families who went without health insurance had incomes between the federal poverty level and twice the poverty level—between $21,200 and $42,400.
