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In addition, the Senate sometimes holds pro-forma sessions during recess periods to prevent the president from making recess appointments. This is apparently why the Senate remains in the pro-forma session since the House is also out of session. The Senate has the Constitutional responsibility to confirm certain appointments of the President but President Trump has made many appointments at other times when the Senate has been in recess and there are many "acting" secretaries, assistant secretaries and other officials of various departments and agencies serving without Senate confirmation..Sleep: Deep sleep helps the brain store and retain new facts and information. But the structural changes to our brain as we age interferes with the quality of our sleep. That in turn reduces our ability to store memories for the long term. To improve focus and memory, get better sleep. That's not always easy for people 65 and over, and there may be times when you need to speak to a doctor. The nonprofit Helpguide.org has tips on how to sleep better as we age..On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee held a hearing titled "Determining Eligibility for Disability Benefits: Challenges Facing the Social Security Administration." Members of the Subcommittee heard from several expert witnesses at the hearing, including Bea Disman, Marilyn Zahm, and Lisa Ekman..What you can do: Send a letter, email or fax to your Senators and Representative..Seniors deserve a Washington that works for them, and every American should be able to retire and live with dignity. I'm committed to doing everything I can in the Senate to ensure that happens..This week, The Senior Citizens League was pleased to see support grow for two key bills..This is an issue TSCL will continue to monitor as the year progresses to make sure the legislation is implemented as Congress intended..The bill calls for an "average" COLA increase, which according to our calculations would equal about 3%. For retirees with an average monthly benefit of ,153 in 2009, that would be an increase of .60 per month - an additional 5.20 in 200TSCL believes that could offset rising Medicare Part B and Part D premium increases for almost every senior, and may help offset some other out-of-pocket health care cost increases as well.."Even one year of high health costs, like being hospitalized for surgery, could force most seniors to spend through their savings faster, or go into debt," says TSCL Chairman, Ed Cates. "Most retirees are dealing with fragile fiscal safety nets," he says. "What makes this finding so significant is that most Medicare health plans have annual out-of-pocket maximums that exceed ,000," Cates adds.

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But not all beneficiaries are protected by the hold harmless provision. The provision covers about three-quarters of beneficiaries who would not see any change in their basic Part B premiums in 2010, according to the Actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But one quarter of beneficiaries would face reductions to their monthly Social Security checks as money is deducted to cover the increased Part B premium costs. And although the "hold harmless" provision provides protection from the rising Part B premiums, that provision of law does not apply at all to Part D drug coverage or Part C Medicare Advantage plan premiums. If a person's Part D or Medicare Advantage plan premium goes up, he or she would have less Social Security to live on in 20An emergency COLA, however would offset those costs and prevent those reductions..On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee held a hearing on the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, two provisions that arbitrarily reduce the earned Social Security benefits of millions of public employees. They were enacted in 1983 in an attempt to bring fairness to the system for those who receive government pensions and earn Social Security benefits, but they have not worked as intended..Under the 'Ryan Budget,' Medicare would be turned into a private voucher program. But these vouchers are unlikely to keep up with healthcare costs, and could require seniors to pay more out-of-pocket for their healthcare. In fact, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that by 2030, seniors would be paying nearly 70% of their health care costs out-of-pocket, with the vouchers picking up only 30% of the bill. It has also been estimated that seniors would end up paying up to ,400 extra for healthcare each year under the Ryan Budget. … Continued

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House Republicans surprised the nation earlier this year by approving an increase to the federal budget debt limit in exchange for passing the "No Budget, No Pay Act." The legislation required Members of Congress in both chambers to pass a budget resolution by April 15, 2013, or their pay would be withheld until they do. According to a TSCL poll, 62 percent of seniors thought the "No Budget, No Pay Act" was a smart move that would get the legislative process back on track..In a statement that was released after the final vote, Senator McCain said: "We must now return to the correct way of legislating and send the bill back to committee, hold hearings, receive input from both sides of the aisle, heed the recommendations of the nation's governors, and produce a bill that finally delivers affordable health care for the American people. We must do the hard work our citizens expect of us and deserve." In addition, Senator Murkowski told reporters: "We cannot let the public believe that we are done with health care. We're just beginning.".No. Did the supposed healthcare equipment supplier or doctor tell you that equipment or service won't cost you anything, and then say they only need your Medicare number to determine your eligibility? If so, this sounds like a common fraud or abusive Medicare billing scheme. Here's how it works: … Continued