Schumer Promises Floor Vote at Rally for Social Security Fairness Act

Alliance leaders and members joined a rally on Capitol Hill with the FOP, IAFF, AFSCME, AFT, NEA, AFL-CIO, and NARFE calling for the Senate to vote on and approve the Social Security Fairness Act (S. 597), which passed in the House as H.R. 82 on November 12.

Alliance Executive Director Richard Fiesta told the crowd: “We paid and we played by the rules. It’s time for the Senate to call for a vote!”

Despite inclement weather, senior union leaders and members of Congress delivered remarks, including AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond, AFT President Randi Weingarten, IAFF General President Ed Kelly, IFPTE President Matt Biggs, NALC President Brian Renfroe, FOP President Patrick Yoes, Senator Sherrod Brown (OH), the Senate bill sponsor, Sen. Jack Reed (RI) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA) and several House members. 

Senators only have until December 20 to pass this critical legislation. Please click here or call 202-224-3121 and tell your senators to push for a vote and approve the bill before they adjourn.

Democratic Lawmakers Ask Dr. Oz to Explain His Support for Medicare Privatization

Seven Democratic House and Senate legislators sent a letter asking Dr. Mehmet Oz to explain his past advocacy for Medicare privatization. The letter specifically asks Oz to clarify his views published in a June 2020 opinion piece that promotes moving all beneficiaries to private, for-profit Medicare Advantage plans. Oz also threw his weight behind Medicare Advantage plans during his unsuccessful 2022 Senate campaign in Pennsylvania. 

Led by Senators Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Ron Wyden (OR), all of the lawmakers who signed the letter are on the Finance Committee, which will oversee Oz’s nomination to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Four Senate Republicans would have to vote no in order to thwart his confirmation, as they have a 53-47 majority. If confirmed, Oz will oversee 6,500 employees, manage a $1.5 trillion budget, and set policy for 155 million Americans’ health insurance. 

“Dr. Oz’s record and investments in Medicare Advantage plans raises red flags for retirees,” said Alliance Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Peters, Jr. “ We need a CMS administrator who will hold Medicare Advantage plans accountable and protect the health of beneficiaries.”

Senate Vote to Re-Confirm Lauren McFerren as NLRB Chair Fails

On Wednesday Senators Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) and Joe Manchin (WV) voted with Senate Republicans to block the nomination of Lauren McFerren to a second term as chair of the National Labor Relations Board. The vote was 50-49.

Had McFerren been re-confirmed, Democrats would have had a 3-2 majority on the National Labor Relations Board for the first two years of Trump's presidency. The NLRB is an independent agency that oversees nearly all union elections at U.S. private workplaces, issues regulations, and investigates cases involving alleged labor law violations. 

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler blasted the vote saying that “this vote had nothing to do with stopping Chair McFerran’s renomination and everything to do with reversing generations of progress workers have made toward building a fairer and more just economy.”

The Senate’s failure to re-confirm McFerren comes at a critical juncture. Project 2025, the blueprint for a second Trump Administration, includes plans to weaken the NLRB’s enforcement powers and make it easier to decertify unions. In addition, Trump ally and advisor Elon Musk has joined with other billionaires and corporations in a lawsuit that seeks to dissolve the Board. 

“This is a deeply disappointing outcome,” said Alliance President Robert Roach. “We know that workers who have the ability to join or form a union earn higher wages over their lifetime and are more likely to have a secure retirement.”

KHN: Resources Are Expanding for Older Adults on Their Own

Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News

Jeff Kromrey, 69, will sit down with his daughter the next time she visits and show her how to access his online accounts if he has an unexpected health crisis.

Gayle Williams-Brett, 69, plans to tackle a project she’s been putting off for months: organizing all her financial information.

Michael Davis, 71, is going to draft a living will and ask a close friend to be his health care surrogate and executor of his estate.

These seniors have been inspired to take these and other actions by an innovative course for such “solo agers”: Aging Alone Together, offered by Dorot, a social services agency in New York City.

Most of them live alone, without a spouse, a partner, or adult children to help them manage as they grow older.

Until a few years ago, few resources were available for this growing slice of the older population.

Now, there are several Facebook groups for solo agers, as well as in-person groups springing up around the country, conferences and webinars, a national clearinghouse of resources, and an expanding array of books on the topic.

Read more here.

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