It’s back-to-school time, and here’s a little refresher in civics.
There are three branches of government: the legislative (Congress), which makes laws; the executive (president, vice president, cabinet, etc.), which carries out laws; and the judicial (Supreme Court and other courts), which evaluates laws. The laws governing our country are enacted by the 535 men and women we elect to serve in Congress. There are 100 Senators, two from each state, along with 435 members of the House of Representatives, which are divided among the 50 states based on population. As elected officials, it is their job to act on behalf of their constituents. They are accountable to you.
This brings up an interesting point. How can you let lawmakers know what is important to you? The answer is simple – tell them. In addition to their offices in Washington, D.C., the legislators all have offices at home to serve the community. To locate and contact your Senator click here, and to reach the Representative for your District click here. These sites provide mailing addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. You can also reach elected officials through social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
Show Your Support
Council of Seniors is working hard to pass The Social Security Restitution Act. This is a game-changing piece of legislation that issues retired workers a $970 check to make up for years of inadequate cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs).
“Every retiree who paid into this system for decades deserves a Social Security benefit that reflects their real cost of living,” said Barbara Godwin, Executive Director of Council of Seniors. “We’re calling on Congress to stand up for the millions of seniors who have been shortchanged, and we’re ready to work with any member who wants to lead on this issue.”
For too long, politicians slashed COLAs – or even took them away altogether – forcing retirees to live on monthly benefits that were well below annual inflation rates or failing to keep up with rising costs.
Please join us in this journey to pass The Social Security Restitution Act.
One of the most important ways to help support this legislation is by signing a petition to Congress, spreading the word with your friends and neighbors, and by contacting your members of Congress.