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TSCL was pleased to see seven new cosponsors sign on to the bill this week, and we will continue to advocate for it on Capitol Hill through the remainder of the 114th Congress..When the Senate does return on Sept. 8 the first thing on its agenda will be to continue confirmation hearings on President Trump's nominations of judges to the federal judiciary. But the Senate has yet to pass one funding bill for the federal government for FY 2021 which begins Oct. 1..New TSCL Poll Should Medicare Be Changed?.Six Tax Moves To Make Before Year End.The U.S. Supreme Court decision on immigration has significant consequences for Social Security and Medicare, says a recent report by The Senior Citizens League. "President Obama's executive actions on immigration would have provided long - term access to Social Security and Medicare benefits for people who worked in this country illegally, even though the newly - issued green cards are only temporary," says TSCL Chairman Ed Cates.The Social Security Cost-Of-Living Adjustment is likely to be the first target for cuts. Most deficit plans in recent years propose tying the annual inflation boost to a more slowly - growing consumer price index known as the chained CPI. The new tax legislation, in fact, adopts the chained CPI to adjust tax brackets and the new expanded standard deduction. That will mean the standard deduction will grow more slowly than before and that people will wind up in higher tax brackets, or a greater portion of their income will be subject to tax, more quickly than before. For retirees, the chained CPI would mean lower COLAs, as well - if Congress extends the change to Social Security..TSCL has long supported adding vision, dental and hearing benefits to Medicare, as well as supporting legislation to lower prescription drug prices. We are waiting to see what the final bills look like that come out of the House and Senate before we determine what kind of endorsement to give..Improving the disability program's integrity by prohibiting the use of medical evidence from health providers who have been convicted of a felony, when deciding whether an applicant qualifies for benefits. This would make it more difficult for criminals to game the system..But should President Trump win a second term there will be pressure on him from members of his own party and some of his long-time supporters to violate his pledge to protect Social Security and Medicare when he ran for President the first time.