The Florida 13th Congressional District is the second oldest in the country, with 29% of the population (and a much greater proportion of the voters) over the age of 65. Having had the privilege of knowing the late Claude Pepper for many years, Jan seeks to emulate him as the champion of senior interests in Congress. There are several aspects to this program:
Social Security. Because the Florida 13th has the third highest number of Social Security recipients of
any Congressional district, with an inflow of $2 billion a year in benefits, the debate over partial
privatization is crucial to local residents. Our campaign opposes any diversion of payroll taxes to
personal accounts. Please see Jan's detailed position paper on "Saving Social Security"
Medicare. With respect to Medicare, Part D was a tragic mistake. Part D as
enacted in the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003
(MMA) is virtually impossible for most seniors to understand, with its resulting
multiplicity of confusing options. Moreover, the $2,850 coverage gap between
$2,250 and $5.100 is truly burdensome. The provision prohibiting the Secretary
of Health and Human Services from bargaining for better drug prices is a giant
giveaway to pharmaceutical companies, particularly since the Department of Veterans
Affairs is permitted to engage in such bargaining. Moreover, the preclusion of
Medigap drug coverage adds to the unreasonableness of the scheme. Finally of course,
there should be no discrimination against retirees with employer-provided drug
coverage.
Veterans and Military Retirees. With the second largest number of veterans in the United
States, Florida is in critical need of additional funding to ensure quality healthcare
and other services. Jan is for mandatory funding of veterans' healthcare and against
increased user fees and other charges. Our campaign also favors full concurrent receipt
for all military retirees and payment of promised survivor and other benefits to military
families.
Other Issues. "Fighting for Seniors" encompasses more than supporting the
specific programs mentioned above. Jan already has a long record of working for senior
housing and equity and for retiree representation on pension boards, as well as against
age discrimination in the workforce and elsewhere. There are also distinct senior
perspectives on taxation (including estate tax, alternative minimum tax and other
issues), transportation, and other areas of legislation. In Congress, Jan will fight
for the comprehensive interests of her constituents and other seniors.
|
