When you meet with your Members of Congress it is a good idea to prepare yourself with a short list key points regarding HR1322 and HR6143 (the HR6143 bill contains
the provisions of HR1322 within its wording) - click here to see summary of that new bill so you can see where other groups, like airline pilots will be helped as well).

What Does H.R. 1322 and Section 105 of HR6143 Do?
H.R. 1322, the Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act Congress has a responsibility to protect the retirement health benefits earned by our nation's senior
citizens, many of whom spent their entire careers at Fortune 500 companies.
 

Specifically, this legislation will:
· Prohibit group health plans from making post-retirement reductions in retiree benefits;
· Require plans to adopt provisions barring post-retirement cuts in retiree health benefits;
· Require employers to restore benefits reduced after retirement;
· Provide an exemption for employers who are unable to restore benefits because they would experience substantial business hardship to be determined by the Secretary of Labor; and,
· Create a loan guarantee program to assist employers in restoring retiree health benefits.

More specific Talking Points:

TALKING POINTS

What should I tell my elected officials about H.R. 1322?
   The retirement benefits of seniors across the U.S. are under attack by the same large corporations who hired them years before.
   Retirees, hoping for "security" in their golden years, have found their dreams threatened by today's corporate culture.
   There is legislation pending before Congress that would correct the problems (H.R. 1322). This legislation is critical to all retirees and their ability to live long healthy lives. Without H.R. 1322, many retirees are going to have to choose between food, shelter and paying for healthcare.     

Does Congress really want retirees to have to choose?
We are not asking for handouts. We are asking that the companies we served for so many years keep their contract of providing us the healthcare we earned through years of work at reduced wages and other benefits

Corporate America is not struggling as we see the huge salaries being paid to corporate CEO's. If Congress lets this trend continue, it will only mean a bigger healthcare crisis in the very near future. Medicare can't handle millions of new beneficiaries and states cannot afford to meet its Medicaid needs at current levels much less adding thousands of new Medicaid beneficiaries each year.

Either Congress forces corporate America to meet its obligations or the Federal government will end up picking up the cost for millions of new uninsured retirees.

We need your help to have H.R. 1322 become law. We cannot afford to go another year with this issue being unresolved as many of us are struggling now to figure out a way to pay for benefits we earned that are now being taken away.

Yes, we need your help! What are the most important things I should request from my elected official?

Before you leave any town hall or district office meeting be sure you accomplish three critical goals:

1) Ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 1322 AND HR6143 which contains HR1322 wording. It's not enough to ask them to "support the bills" or "take your comments into consideration". Press them politely to give you a definite answer. If the meeting is with their staff, request a formal reply within a week and let them know you will be following up if you haven't heard from them by then.

2) If they say they won't co-sponsor H.R. 1322 and/or HR6143 find out why. This information will be critical as we head into the fall. If we know why they have problems with the bill, we can find ways to fix those problems. Many in Congress just don't understand that you gave up pay and other benefits all during your working career in exchange for the paid healthcare in retirement. These folks may believe the corporate hype that your retiree subsidized healthcare is a "welfare benefit" given out of the goodness of their "corporate heart."

3) Ask them what changes need to be made to these two pieces of legislation that would get them to support it publicly. This information will again help us modify the bill so that it will gain widespread support. If they have a certain issue, you can bet others will too.
 

These three keys seem easy enough and they are, if you are persistent. Your goal should be, to not let the members or their staff out of the room without having them answers these questions or commit to you to give you an answer.

They may try to duck the questions, but be persistent. You have a lot to lose by not getting a straight answer from them. Let them know that (in a polite way).

These are the keys to meeting with your Members of Congress during any Congressional recess. This is really easier than you might think. Remember, these people work for you. Don't let them forget that - always in a nice way as threatening postures closes doors.

Good luck and please fill out our Congress Feedback Form after your meeting, visit or call. That way we can keep our log of Congressional Contacts up to date so when we visit the memeber of Congress we can be confident one of his/her constituents did make it clear to that Congressperson, passage of HR1322 and HR6143 was very important to them. If you have any questions or need any assistance. Our ProtectSeniors.Org staff is willing to help. Good luck!

Left Click Here to go to the Congresssional Feedback Form