EDITOR:

Recently, U.S. Representative Peter De Fazio (D-OR) introduced H.R. 8005 and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced S. 4365 entitled the Social Security Expansion Act, which affords recipients an 8.7% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) raise in their monthly payments starting in January of 2023. If you are one of the fortunate 70 million Americans who have started receiving this raise, thank the Democrats for this deserved adjustment.

The House Resolution and Senate Bill were not supported by any Republican. This adjustment was enacted on the part of the Democrats to help Americans feel less pressure regarding the cost of living. Currently, the Republican leadership in the House are considering cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Hopefully, the well-deserved COLA will not be taken by our Federal Representative Bergman. Just as he did not support the infrastructure bill, he did not support this COLA of 8.7% either.

It’s important to remember that financial matters of the government all travel through the House of Representatives. The highest COLA ever given through Social Security came during the Jimmy Carter Administration when the President, House and Senate were governed by Democrats. President Carter got a 14.3% adjustment enacted. Imagine having that in your pocket right now. The lowest COLA was 0% during President Obama’s administration when both the House and the Senate were Republican dominated.

Since 1975 there have been five Republican presidents and four Democratic presidents. This 8.7% COLA is the largest jump in 40 years. Since President Reagan in 1982 the highest the COLA has reached was 5.9% done by the Biden Administration in 2022. These COLAs, although are appreciated, don’t keep up with the cost of living we experience every year.

I am grateful that President Biden has been able to move the needle back in the direction of a more realistic raise that will afford families the opportunity to meet their needs. It’s difficult to decide whether to buy food or get medication. We need to have administrations in Washington, D.C. that keep the well-being of the person at the forefront.

We need to remind our legislators that they only have a job because we give them their job. I want a federal representative in office that will remember the reason he has a job and right now, that is not what Delta County has in Jack Bergman. Vote in your best interest in 2024; Rep. Bergman seeks only his interest.

Monica L Peach

Escanaba