Alliance Protests Trump’s Project 2025 Efforts to Slash Medicare Benefits

Holding signs that said “No Project 2025, Keep Medicare Alive” and “Forget Trump-Vance, Give Seniors a Chance,” Alliance members marked the 59th anniversary of Medicare with a protest outside the Heritage Foundation Tuesday. 

The action drew attention to Project 2025, the policy and personnel blueprint the Heritage Foundation created for a possible second Donald Trump presidency. The plan was drafted by dozens of former Trump Administration officials and Trump praised the project on numerous occasions.

Project 2025 calls for dangerous changes to Medicare. It would force all new enrollees into a for-profit Medicare plan that limits which doctors they can see. Trump and Project 2025 also want to repeal the historic law passed by President Biden and Vice President Harris that is lowering drug prices by capping insulin at $35 a month and capping out of pocket expenses. 

In addition, Project 2025 calls for enrolling all new beneficiaries into for-profit Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. The plans often force people with chronic conditions or severe health needs to face challenging pre-authorization requirements and difficulties staying in-network.

“This is the 59th anniversary of Medicare and we want to keep it strong so that there is a 60th and a 61st,” said Alliance Executive Director Richard Fiesta at the event. “We’re here at the Heritage Foundation because Donald Trump’s buddies have a plan to totally privatize the program.”

Pennsylvania Alliance President Mike Crossey, a retired teacher, added, “This election is about healthcare for retirees. This election is about a secure retirement for every single person who retires in this country. It’s about protecting Medicare. This election is about the future of our country.”

Alliance Members Lobby Congress, Plan Strategy to Elect Kamala Harris at the Northeast Regional Meeting

This week the Alliance hosted its Northeast Regional meeting in Washington, DC. Members from Connecticut, DC, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island discussed the 2024 elections; lobbied on Capitol Hill to build support for retiree issues, including lowering drug prices and strengthening Social Security; and collaborated on ways to bring younger workers into the movement. 

On Tuesday, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers International President Brian Bryant spoke passionately about the need to elect Vice President Kamala Harris as President. 

Alliance President Robert Roach, Jr. stressed the need to end the politics of division and hate, and Executive Director Fiesta spoke about the importance of turning out the senior vote to elect pro-retiree candidates.

On Wednesday, Robert Porto (IUPAT) was elected a Northeastern Regional board member and Roger Boudreau (AFT) and Carol Rosenblatt (AFSCME) were re-elected. President Roach also appointed Jody Weinreich (Workers United) to another term.

Later, representatives from the American Federation of Government Employees discussed the importance of restoring the Social Security Administration’s operating budget to past budget levels to reduce wait times and better serve beneficiaries.

“The energy at the conference for electing Kamala Harris as our next President was electric,” said President Roach. “Alliance members know the best way to enhance Social Security and Medicare and lower health care costs is to elect Vice President Harris and a Democratic House and Senate, and this week's conference helped provide the tools to get that message out.”

Alliance Members Celebrate Medicare's 59th Anniversary from Coast to Coast

Alliance members across the country celebrated Medicare’s 59th Anniversary on Tuesday. In Dallas, members of the Texas Alliance picketed for the protection and expansion of Medicare and Medicaid alongside Texas State Representative candidate Elizabeth Ginsberg.

In San Francisco, the California Alliance’s rally included speeches from the Alliance, SF Gray Panthers, the Movement to End Privatization of Medicare Bay Area, and singer-songwriter Hali Hammer. Alliance members in several other states also celebrated the anniversary.

“Before Medicare, only half of the nation’s seniors had health insurance,” said Joseph Peters, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “Thanks to Medicare, 56.6 million Americans aged 65 and older have guaranteed health coverage. Our mission now is to protect it and expand it so it includes a vision, hearing and dental benefit.” 

Texas Alliance members celebrated Medicare’s birthday in Dallas Tuesday

White House Announces Disbursement of $5.7 Billion from the American Rescue Plan to Save Union Pensions

The New England Teamsters pension fund is getting a major cash infusion of $5.7 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act to guarantee the retirements of more than 72,000 union members. To date, over 200 multi-employer pension plans and over 1 million workers and retirees have had their pensions restored or shored up thanks to the law.

Danny Melendez, a retired organizer and business agent for the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco & Grain Millers (BCTGM), credits the Biden-Harris administration for getting him his full pension benefits. 

“I don’t know what I would have done if my benefits had been cut by 50%. That’s what the Republicans proposed, and it would have been devastating for millions of retirees, including myself,” said Melendez during a “Labor for Harris” organizing call Wednesday. “Vice President Harris was the tie-breaking vote in the Senate that allowed the pension legislation to be passed. She had workers’ backs then, and she will have our backs as President. Like President Biden, Vice President Harris is a true champion and friend of labor.”

Thanks for reading. Every day, we're fighting to lower prescription drug prices and protect retirees' earned benefits and health care. But we can't do it without your help. Please support our work by donating below.