Fighting for Seniors

Congressman Sherman has continually worked to preserve Social Security, strengthen pensions and improve Medicare.  His steadfast opposition to efforts to privatize Social Security and his commitment to improving Medicare benefits has consistently earned him a 100% rating from the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and his voting record is rated 100% by AARP.

Opposing Privatization of Social Security

Over 63 million Americans will receive Social Security benefits in 2018, providing a retirement security they have paid into their whole working lives.  Imagine if the efforts to “privatize” and cut Social Security in 2005 had succeeded.  San Fernando Valley seniors would have seen their life-long investments wiped out in the financial meltdown on Wall Street.  Additionally, they would have taken sharp cuts in their monthly Social Security benefits. 

Social Security and Medicare permit millions of American families to retire with the dignity and security that they worked a lifetime to ensure. The proposals to privatize Social Security involve lower benefits, unless the beneficiary is willing to select risky investments and happens to select stocks that perform well. Congressman Sherman remains committed to fighting against efforts to privatize Social Security because he believes it would be irresponsible to replace a guarantee with a gamble.

Help for Valley Seniors

My staff is available to help you with questions about Medicare, Social Security, Veterans Benefits or dealing with federal agencies.  We can assist with Medicare by helping to determine which health care services are eligible for coverage, explaining your prescription drug coverage and investigating reimbursement problems.  We can provide information about various Social Security programs, including retirement and survivor benefits, disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).  If you have questions or concerns about any of these issues, please contact Carolina Krawiec, Constituent Services Director, in my Valley office at (818) 501-9200.

Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit

Too many seniors have too much of their savings drained by the need to pay for costly prescription medications. That's why Congressman Sherman has voted against inadequate plans in the past that would not have provided the coverage that seniors need and would require participants to buy Medi-gap insurance from private insurance companies.  Sherman voted for the stronger plan, which would provide drug coverage as part of Medicare and would pay 80% of participants’ drug costs until they reach $2000, and 100% of costs over $2000.

Protecting Retirement Benefits

Some who receive Social Security benefits or survivor’s benefits discover that the retirement income they counted on has been reduced by technicalities known as “government pension offsets” or “windfall elimination provisions,” because they worked for state or local government.  Most California teachers and firefighters fall into this category. While during much of their careers they worked for government entities which did not participate in Social Security, those affected by this rule also worked for years in private sector employment or are the surviving spouse of someone who did. Retirees should receive the benefits they are entitled to based on the contributions they or their deceased spouse paid into the Social Security system. To fix this problem, and to provide fair treatment for California teachers and firefighters, Sherman co-sponsored the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 1205), which would repeal these pension offsets.