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This week, lawmakers in the House and Senate continued working on legislation that would comprehensively reform the tax code. In addition, The Senior Citizens League saw support grow for one key bill that would comprehensively reform the prescription drug industry..Fifty six percent of older adults think we need to invest more in Medicare in order to respond more quickly and effectively to a healthcare crisis like COVID-19, according to a new survey by The Senior Citizens League. "Boosting funding for Medicare is one of the most important issues for older voters this year," says Mary Johnson, a Medicare, and Social Security policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League..Rushed or pressured to sign papers. Is the salesman or dealer herding you into an office and telling you to sign now or lose your deal? That's a sure sign it's a deal worth missing..At the Social Security Subcommittee's hearing, the focus was also on three specific proposals: cutting the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment by adopting the "chained" Consumer Price Index, raising the eligibility age, and increasing the cap on income subject to the payroll tax. Support for each proposal was mixed, and while experts on the panel spoke with a sense of urgency, no real consensus was evident among Members of the Subcommittee..So even as this is being written there are reports coming that Congressional leaders are close to a deal on both the legislation to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year as well as a new coronavirus economic stimulus bill..When asked how they responded to rising prices for meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products, survey participants report reducing the amount that they consume of these foods and having to spend a larger portion of their budget on these items. "Most troubling of all, about 25 percent of survey participants reported they've gone without," Johnson says..In the weeks ahead, The Senior Citizens League will be closely monitoring discussions in the House and Senate to repeal the ACA since they will impact older Americans in several ways. For instance, Medicare Part D beneficiaries who fall into the coverage gap or "doughnut hole" will face higher costs for their prescription drugs, and the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund that finances Medicare Part A will lose a critical stream of funding. For updates on the repeal of the ACA, visit the Legislative News section of our website, or follow TSCL on Facebook or Twitter..For progress updates or for more information about these and other bills that would strengthen Social Security and Medicare programs, visit the Bill Tracking section of our website or follow TSCL on Twitter."At the same time Social Security payroll taxes have taken a huge hit due to tens of millions of people out of work, claims for Social Security will grow faster in 2020 than anticipated, as older adults lose their jobs," says Johnson. Before the start of the coronavirus recession, many older workers may have delayed claiming Social Security to allow their benefits to grow. "But those who lose their jobs may have to go ahead and claim Social Security benefits now because they can't afford to wait - especially if their retirement accounts have gone down significantly in value as well," Johnson says.