Faced with rising health care costs, declining pensions and high unemployment, our seniors and veterans are struggling just to get by. Times are particularly tough for millions of elderly Americans who rely on Social Security for much, if not all, of their income. That's why I was disappointed to hear that the Social Security Administration will not be providing a Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) for 2011. This is the second consecutive year in which Social Security beneficiaries, veterans and people with disabilities will not see an increase in their monthly Social Security, SSI, VA Pension and Compensation and/or Railroad Retirement benefits. To correct this, I am urging President Obama to provide a one-time supplemental $500 payment to Social Security recipients to offset the lack of COLA increase. If ever there was a time to help seniors, veterans and people with disabilities make ends meet, it's now.

Alongside city officials and residents, I unveiled a multimillion dollar investment in public housing that will create hundreds of jobs across our city. The Indianapolis Housing Agency (IHA) has received $21 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which will be used to rehabilitate, acquire and construct affordable housing units and properties. This is a huge win for low-income families who all too often struggle to find affordable housing in Indianapolis. The project is expected to be finished by the end of 2011.

This week, I was proud to stand beside Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard to announce a series of important improvements to the Protective Order Registry. The Protective Order Registry enables local, state and national law enforcement agencies to be notified when a protective order has been filed with a court. As a former law enforcement official, I am confident that these enhancements will provide greater protection to thousands of Hoosiers who are victims of domestic violence. The upgrades to the Protective Order Registry, supported by federal funding, include new tools to instantly notify domestic violence victims when protective orders have been served. Unlike other violent crimes in which the victim may not have any warning of pending danger, we know domestic violence victims are at risk. It's our responsibility as a community to do all we can to protect these women and their families. Thanks to this federal grant and the leadership of our courts, victims and advocate groups will get more accurate and timely information that will enable victims to stay safe and protected during times of increased risk.

Thank you for reading the Carson Courier. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts and concerns. For more information, please visit my website at http://www.carson.house.gov and my new Congressional Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CongressmanAndreCarson. I value your views and your input which help me to better represent the people of Indiana's 7th District in Congress.