Congress

Strengthen Social Security and Medicare — Don’t “Reform” Them

Posted on 06/19/2013 by jerosenblum | AARP Media Relations Team | Comments

Politics | Your LifeThis initially ran in The Huffington Post. In the Washington Post this week, Editorial Page Editor Fred Hiatt writes about the need to “reform entitlements.” Last week, AARP volunteers from every state in America came to Capitol Hill to ask their Democratic, Republican and Independent members of Congress to strengthen Social Security and Medicare by coming up with responsible solutions. Those who create the messages around recent attempts to cut Social Security benefits have also called for “entitlement reform.” With …

Bill Aims to Root Out Waste In Medicare and Medicaid

Posted on 06/14/2013 by Tamara Lytle | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | Money & Savings | Your LifeNew legislation proposed with bipartisan support on Capitol Hill aims to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. Mistakes, inefficiencies and fraud in the two health care programs come at a steep price to both consumers and taxpayers, points out Joyce A. Rogers, senior vice president of government affairs for AARP, which has endorsed the bill. “The PRIME Act is a strong first step toward reducing waste, fraud, and abuse in our public health programs,” she says. (PRIME …

What’s Congress Up To? How You Can Find Out

Posted on 06/13/2013 by Tamara Lytle | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | Politics | TechnologyAmericans rate Congress below most scourges, polls regularly show. But does the public actually know what Congress is doing? Only a small percentage of legislation makes it to the Senate and House floors, where insomniacs can stay glued to the proceedings on C-SPAN. But these days, it’s a lot easier than it used to be to track bills of interest through the legislative process. The granddaddy of legislative access is named, fittingly, after the guy who created the Library of …

In Congress, Dingell Has Outlasted Them All

Posted on 06/7/2013 by Tamara Lytle | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | Politics | WorkHolding any job for 57 years is impressive. But it’s especially remarkable when every two years your bosses are asked whether they want to fire you. Rep. John D. Dingell Jr. (D-Mich.) now owns the record for holding a seat in Congress longer than anyone else – 57 years, 5 months and 26 days. As the Washington Post’s Paul Kane writes: “That eclipses the late Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va.), who served in both the House and Senate. “Elected in …

How Much Clout Does Your State Have in Washington?

Posted on 05/7/2013 by Tamara Lytle | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsPolitical power ends up in some interesting places. Roll Call measures just how much clout each state has in Washington and even figures out how much influence each state has per member of Congress. Why does clout matter? Billions in federal aid are at stake, and the ability to influence everything from how much citizens are taxed to legislation on Medicare, Social Security, guns, immigration and countless other matters. Roll Call’s clout index factors in leadership positions held by lawmakers …

The Walk to Walden’s Woodshed and Other Contradictions in the Obama Budget

Posted on 04/24/2013 by jerosenblum | AARP Media Relations Team | Comments

PoliticsIt’s news these days that the President has dinner with members of Congress. Had President Obama enjoyed more meals or even an occasional beverage with some members of Congress in both parties, he might have found out that putting the Chained CPI in his budget could derail his entire legislative agenda because of the passions roused in both Democrats and Republicans against the proposal. One of the key messages coming from the White House when the President’s usual …