Standing up for elders and people with disabilities

One of my top priorities in the U.S. Senate is working to strengthen the economic security of seniors and people with disabilities in Massachusetts. But today, some in Washington are trying to tear apart critical programs that help people live their lives with dignity.

Last year, President Trump and congressional Republicans tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act and gut the Medicaid program that helps millions of seniors stay in their homes and live independently, and also helps pay for nursing home care for loved ones. We fought back tooth and nail and saved those critical programs. We also stopped an effort to slash the budget of the already cash-strapped agency that runs Social Security. Budget cuts have forced the Social Security Administration to cut thousands of jobs and close 64 field offices since 2010 in towns like Greenfield, leading to outrageously long wait times and leaving many older people and Americans with disabilities struggling to get their benefits. We stood up against additional cuts -- and in the last budget, I helped get a $480 million increase for the agency. This was the first increase to the Social Security Administration’s operating budget in eight years.

But the fight isn’t over. President Trump’s new proposed budget is a direct attack on older Americans and people with disabilities. It contains deep cuts to the SNAP program, which helps elderly people put food on the table. It would also eliminate the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps low-income people – including the elderly – stay warm during winters in the Commonwealth. It cuts tens of billions from Social Security’s disability benefits and guts Medicaid once again, threatening health care for low-income seniors and people with disabilities. Meanwhile, efforts continue in Washington to privatize and cut benefits for millions of seniors who rely on Social Security to survive.

I will fight to preserve and strengthen programs like Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid.  People in Massachusetts deserve a Washington that works for them, and I’m committed to doing my part in the Senate to ensure that all Americans can retire and live with dignity.

Read the full op-ed on the Good Life website here.

• Print
• Email
• Tweet