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Congress is under intense pressure from numerous directions to get rising debt under control. The Congressional Budget Office further warned that growing interest costs on the debt would restrict our elected lawmakers ability to use tax and spending policies to respond to economic downturns or financial crises. And that in turn would increase the probably of a sudden fiscal crisis, in which the government would lose its ability to borrow at affordable rates..TSCL enthusiastically supports the No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act, and in a survey that we conducted in January of 2016, nearly 90 percent of our members and supporters agreed that such payments should be prohibited. We commend Rep. Rohrabacher for introducing legislation that would protect the integrity of the Social Security program while preventing an unnecessary and unspecified strain on the Trust Fund. We look forward to working with him in the coming months to help build support for his critical new bill..Conferees Hit Budget Impasse.Higher benefit costs may not be a financial choice for the majority of seniors. Half of all survey respondents report spending 11% to 33% of their Social Security benefit on healthcare costs, and another 22% reported spending 34% to 50% of their benefit. The following table illustrates how respondents answered..Right now, every politician in Washington has his or her eye on November. That is when the voters speak and hold their elected officials accountable..Drug prices in the U.S. are much higher than in other developed countries, because there are no federal laws regulating prices. In fact, the law specifically forbids Medicare from negotiating prices on behalf of its beneficiaries. Allowing the importation of prescription drugs from countries such as Canada, where drugs are less expensive, has the potential to lower drug costs for both U.S. consumers and the federal government..Social Security is a promise that the federal government has made to its citizens. It is a promise on which millions of Americans rely on, and one that needs to be there for them when they retire. I am proud to sponsor H.R. 141, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in any capacity available, to ensure that we keep the promises we made to our public-sector employees..TSCL is meeting with new Members of Congress to get them up to speed on the Notch, how it impacts the adequacy your Social Security benefits, and the importance of Notch Reform. We encourage all of you to take time to write to your Members of Congress about how the Notch has affected your retirement income and urge them to co-sponsor Notch Reform legislation, the Notch Baby Act of 2011, and the Notch Fairness Act.."No Limit: Medicare Part D Enrollees Exposed to High Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs Without a Hard Cap On Spending," Kaiser Family Foundation, November 201"Summary of Recent and Proposed Changes to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage and Reimbursement," Kaiser Family Foundation, February 2018.