Social Security’s earned benefits provide NH-01 with $2.8 billion and NH-02 with $2.9 billion per year. These total annual benefits cover 156,800 and 160,589 recipients, respectively.That’s 317,389 beneficiaries who contribute annually to New Hampshire’s economy. The economic benefits provide to every community in our state.
U.S. Rep. John Larson’s “Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust Act” (H.R. 5723) will go a long way to improve Social Security. The lack of decent ongoing cost-of-living adjustments for seniors has been and is a major issue hurdle. This year’s 5.9% COLA due to pandemic-related inflation does not make up for decades of record low or zero COLAs. This year’s COLA is eaten up with the $21.60 increase in Medicare premium cost, inflated prices for food, gasoline, housing, medical costs and other expenses in retirement. The COLA is calculated on the spending habits of working-age urban and clerical workers, not on spending patterns of seniors who have to live on Social Security benefits.
That’s why we need Congress to pass Larson’s H.R. 5723, which adopts the Consumer Price Index for the elderly, which measures inflation on the goods and services that seniors actually rely on. We need the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share into the program, which has been relying on working and lower half of middle-class workers’ contributions.
Contact U.S. Rep. Ann Kuster and thank her for supporting this bill, and contact U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas and urge him to cosponsor Larson’s bill. Ask them to speak with their fellow congressmen and congresswomen about backing this bill and promoting its passage. For seniors and our New Hampshire economy, as well as across our nation, we need this bill to pass.
Kath Allen
New Hampshire Coordinator, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
Peterborough