Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and other safety net programs are in the crosshairs of the 115th Congress. Given the louder and louder drumbeat of cutbacks and privatization, we are urging members – in service and retiree – to become 15-minute activists by making phone calls to their representatives in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
In addition, we are scheduling face-to-face meetings at district offices with congresspersons in the NYC metropolitan area. (If you wish to join one of these visits, email us at [email protected]. Provide the name of your congressperson. We will get back to you to figure out the best time to schedule a group visit to his/her district office.)
PHONE CALLS. We are scheduling a phone call once every two weeks, each on one of four issues – Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid And the ACA. The first phone call will be on MEDICARE during the two-week period between February 6th and 20th. From February 20th to March 6th, the issue will be SOCIAL SECURITY . From March 6 – 20, we are calling about the ACA and MEDICAID. Here is a suggested phone script for the calls on ACA and MEDICAID. (Click here to go to a web page created NPR indicating where representative and senators stand on the bill proposed by GOP House leadership repealing and replacing the ACA.)
It you have not already, make calls on Medicare and Social Security. Here is the suggested script for MEDICARE for the call on Medicare. And here is a suggested phone script for the calls on SOCIAL SECURITY.
When we call, we are asking each congressional office to make a commitment NOT to cut or privatize. We need feedback on these commitments. After you complete your call, take a minute or two to fill out the form below to tell us what the congressperson was or was not willing to commit.
For a PDF of TALKING POINTS for these visits, click here.
If you need to identify who represents you in Congress, go to house.gov/representatives/find/.
To call your member of Congress, dial the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. An operator will connect you directly to your congressperson’s office.
(A good primer on these programs is the PSC Safety Net Committee’s A Call to Action: Defend and Expand the Social Safety Net. Two advocacy organization that provide legislative updates on Medicare and Social Security are the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and Social Security Works.)
