Pressure on Congress is ramping up for immigration legislation that provides a "clear path to citizenship" for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. House GOP Members are reportedly working on several immigration bills, including two that would grant some form of legal status. Conservative pro-immigration reform groups, including business leaders and law enforcement, are pushing the House to take action, perhaps early this spring. The Senate passed an immigration reform bill last July..The other good news for seniors last week was the apparent victory of TSCL and other groups to stop the payroll tax cut. President Trump has been demanding the cut for months, and he had stated that he would not sign any new pandemic relief legislation if the payroll tax cut were not included..It required a mix of financial incentives, unprecedented world-wide need, and government prodding. But drug companies stepped up, and based on their performance in the stock market, they appear to be prospering. The federal government negotiated not only prices, but also it purchased hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines, made the vaccines available to the public at no charge, and has overseen the distribution of the vaccines to states. Those vaccines are saving lives, helping to get workers back on the job, and allowing those of us who are fully vaccinated to carefully start to resume pre-pandemic activities, such as visits with friends, family and grandchildren..Social Security Fairness Act Re-Introduced.Companion, bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Senator Susan Collins of Maine. I'm incredibly thankful for their leadership on this issue in the Senate and I hope our bill is brought to a vote there soon, so it can head to the President's desk..chances are we may have a chronic health condition that requires regular.Prices charged for the category of drugs known as "specialty medications" are exploding so quickly that they're now a key source of concern for both consumers and Congress. Specialty drugs include those used to treat cancer, multiple sclerosis and rare health conditions. Spending on these drugs under Medicare almost quadrupled in recent years, rising from .7 billion in 2010 to .8 billion in 201On the other hand, spending on the same drugs under Medicaid, the program that provides healthcare for low-income Americans, grew much more slowly over the same period, rising from .8 billion to .9 billion..The soda is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the fridge to keep it cold..Get the Seasonal Flu Vaccine but Not Just Yet
