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This week, one new cosponsor Rep. Corrine Brown signed on to the Social Security 2100 Act. The total is now up to sixty-four. If signed into law, H.R. 1391 would increase Social Security benefits by 2 percent, cut taxes for over 11 million seniors, increase the minimum benefit to 125 percent of the poverty line, and make COLAs more fair and accurate. It would also take measures to increase the solvency of the trust fund beyond the next seventy-five years, through the year 2100.."This is a budget cut that makes no sense," says TSCL Executive Director Shannon Benton. "Meals on Wheels is a low-cost program that reduces our nation's healthcare bill and more importantly helps seniors stay in their home and remain independent," she says..The hold-harmless provision was again triggered on a nation-wide basis in 2016, when the COLA was zero, and again in 2017, when it was just 0.03 percent. In the meantime the Part B premium rose to 4.00 per month. In 2018, the COLA finally boosted benefits by 2 percent, but even so, roughly half of all beneficiaries reported that the increase in Part B premiums offset their entire COLA this year..TSCL believes that Social Security and Medicare remain at high risk of major changes that would cut benefits and continues to meet with Members of Congress and their staffs. The COLA is particularly vulnerable due to the size of the reduction in the deficit it would have - both by cutting federal spending and boosting tax revenue. The next election will be one of the most critical in years for both retirees and older Americans within ten years of retirement. TSCL urges you to ensure that you and your family are registered and ready to vote this November!.Giving COVID vaccines in school gymnasiums and community centers has been just as healing for those giving the shots as for those of us getting them. Our vaccine hall was bubbling with excited happy voices and laughter. The moment I entered I was struck by how strange and rare that laughter had become and how much I had missed that sound!.Social Security can be changed in two ways - but benefit cuts don't have to be inevitable. Increasing payroll taxes is the other avenue..As you might imagine, the Congressional schedule has been totally rearranged. They had scheduled recesses for the national party conventions, their usual August recess, and then for the elections. We assume those are all up-in-the-air now..But when you work, there's a limit to how much you can earn and still keep your benefits. When you are under full retirement age, your Social Security benefit will be reduced for every you are over the earnings limit..TSCL's report entitled "The Cost of Illegal Earnings Under Totalization With Mexico" examines three ways illegal Mexican workers could become entitled to benefits under an agreement with Mexico. The report concludes, "responsible, comprehensive cost estimates of the totalization agreement with Mexico simply cannot afford to ignore the very large and significant cost of benefits based on illegal, unauthorized work. Doing so results in highly misleading and incomplete estimates that would jeopardize the future solvency of Social Security, leading to benefit cuts and higher taxes."