Donald Trump’s Plans Cut $2.3 Trillion from Social Security

A new digital television ad asks older voters if electing Donald Trump is worth losing 33% of their earned Social Security benefits. The ad was released Friday by Retired Americans PAC, the Alliance’s political arm and will air in the battleground state of Pennsylvania through Election Day.

Social Security beneficiaries would face a 33% automatic benefit cut starting in 2035.

“Donald Trump has talked about his interest in cutting Social Security for years and promises to double down on tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and corporations,“ said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. “This report shows how Trump’s plans will directly cut the benefits Americans have worked a lifetime to earn.” 

“To ensure Social Security is there for current and future generations, seniors need to elect Kamala Harris and reject Trump’s dangerous schemes,” Fiesta added.

On Thursday, "Expand Social Security" House Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. John B. Larson (CT), Raúl Grijalva (AZ), and Debbie Dingell (MI) also released a statement about the report on Trump’s Social Security policies. They stressed that Trump's plan would cause "devastating, irrevocable damage to an institution that millions of Americans depend on."

Alliance Endorses U.S. Senate Candidate Angela Alsobrooks at Rally

At a rally in Baltimore on Wednesday, the Alliance endorsed Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate. The event included Alsobrooks, Sen. Brian Schatz (HI), Executive Director Fiesta, members of the Maryland Alliance and AFSCME retiree members.

Left to right in Baltimore on Wednesday: Joni Jones, national Alliance staff (holding sign), Daisy Fields, Angela Alsobrooks, and Susan Flashman

Maryland/DC Alliance Treasurer and retired public service worker Daisy Fields from AFSCME, and immediate past president of the Maryland/DC Alliance Susan Flashman, an IBEW retiree, spoke at the event. After Alsobrooks laid out her agenda for older Marylanders, the Alliance members phoned other seniors urging them to vote for Alsobrooks and Kamala Harris.

“I joined the Alliance of Retired Americans and Senator Schatz this morning to reiterate my commitment to protecting our seniors when I’m in the U.S. Senate,” said Alsobrooks. “This is personal to me — we must defend our Democratic Senate Majority to defend our seniors.”

“The Alliance is proudly endorsing Angela Alsobrooks to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate this morning because she has proven that she will look out for Maryland seniors like us when she is elected,” stated Ms. Fields. “She has also called for the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share into Social Security taxes. That will allow us to increase benefits for all Americans.”

“The Republican party has told us very clearly what they would like to do if their nominee, Larry Hogan, wins and they get 51 seats in the Senate,” added Ms. Flashman. “They have been upfront about their plans to go after seniors’ hard earned Social Security and Medicare benefits.”

New Ad: Deb Fischer Voted to Raise the Retirement Age and Cut Medicare, Dan Osborn Will Fight for Seniors

A new radio ad launched this week by Retired Americans PAC in Omaha and Lincoln contrasts Senator Deb Fischer’s record on issues important to older Nebraskans with the positions of her opponent, Dan Osborn, an industrial mechanic and union leader running as an Independent. The six-figure ad campaign began running on October 21 and will continue through election day.

The ad reminds voters that Fischer has voted to raise the Social Security retirement age, cut benefits and slash Medicare. She also voted against capping insulin costs at $35 per month.

Older voters turn out at the highest rates, and 26.5% of registered voters in Nebraska are 65 years of age or older.

In addition to this ad running across Nebraska, Retired Americans PAC is currently running independent expenditure campaigns in the presidential, Michigan and Montana Senate, and five battleground House races: AZ-01, AZ-06, MI-07, PA-07, and PA-10.

Court Rejects Drug Corporation Novartis’ Challenge to Medicare’s Drug Price Negotiation Program

On Friday, October 18th, a district court judge in New Jersey rejected Novartis’ lawsuit against Medicare’s ability to negotiate lower drug prices. The ruling marks the eighth setback for the pharmaceutical industry’s multi-million dollar campaign to undermine the program and keep prices high at the expense of patients.

District Judge Zahid Quraishi denied Novartis’ claim that Medicare negotiation “forces them to sell their personal property on the government’s terms,” since, as Judge Quraishi also stated in his decisions in Bristol Myers Squibb’s and Janssen’s lawsuits, participation in the program is voluntary. Novartis’ case was the final of four cases that were before Judge Quraishi, and he has now ruled in favor of the government and patients in all four.

“The ruling was a victory for everyone who relies on Medicare’s ability to negotiate prices to afford their medication,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance. “Despite their best efforts, the drug industry’s lawsuits will not be able to stop the progress that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are making on behalf of seniors.”

FTC Announces Final “Click-to-Cancel” Rule, Making it Easier to End Recurring Subscriptions and Memberships

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission announced a final “click-to-cancel” rule that will require sellers to make it as easy for consumers to cancel their enrollment as it was to sign up. Most of the final rule’s provisions will go into effect 180 days after it is published in the Federal Register.

The updated rule will apply to almost all negative option programs in any media. The FTC uses the phrase “negative option marketing” broadly to refer to a category of commercial transactions in which sellers interpret a customer’s failure to take an affirmative action, either to reject an offer or cancel an agreement, as assent to be charged for goods or services. 

The rule also will prohibit sellers from misrepresenting any material facts while using negative option marketing; require sellers to provide important information before obtaining consumers’ billing information and charging them; and require sellers to get consumers’ informed consent to the negative option features before charging them.

“The FTC’s rule will go a long way toward ensuring seniors and other consumers no longer have to jump through endless hoops in order to stop getting services they no longer want,” said Joseph Peters, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “This has been needed for a long time and now we will finally see things change.”

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