{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140228023014/http://shea-porter.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/shea-porter-fights-to-protect-medicare-and-social-security", "Shea-Porter Fights to Protect Medicare and Social Security", "2013-11-22", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "NH", "Carol Shea-Porter", "S001170", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  \n\tContact:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0  \n\tBen Wakana, 202-225-5456 WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) continued her fight against reckless schemes to balance the budget on the backs of New Hampshire seniors by joining 60 lawmakers in sending a letter to leaders of the Conference Committee on the 2014 Budget. The letter demands that seniors\u2019 earned benefits be defended during budget negotiations. \u201cThe conference must reject policy reforms that place Medicare and Social Security benefits on the chopping block,\u201d Shea-Porter and lawmakers wrote. \u201cToo often, we hear of proposals to drastically slash benefits provided through these critical programs. These proposals are presented under the guise of fiscal responsibility, but would jeopardize the livelihood and health of the millions of seniors who depend on Social Security and Medicare.\u201d As part of last month\u2019s agreement to end the 16-day government shutdown, a Conference Committee on the 2014 Budget was created. The committee was tasked with shaping an agreement on a federal budget for fiscal year 2014. Shea-Porter has strongly defended the role that Medicare and Social Security play in providing a secure retirement for millions of Americans. In February, she wrote to President Obama urging him to reject proposals to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security as he works with Congress to address our nation\u2019s fiscal challenges. She has cosponsored the Strengthening Social Security Act of 2013, legislation that would improve benefits for current and future Social Security beneficiaries, and has spoken out against chained CPI and other cuts to benefits that seniors have earned through a lifetime of hard work. Social Security is also a vital safety net for people with disabilities and family members of workers who have died. As of December 2012, the average monthly benefit for those receiving Social Security was $1,215. Over the course of a year, this averages out to $14,580. The idea that we should balance the budget on the backs of seniors relying on less than $15,000 is simply wrong. Full text of the letter is below. +++ The Honorable Patty Murray  \n\tCo-Chair  \n\tConference Committee on the FY 2014 Budget  \n\t154 Russell Senate Office Building  \n\tWashington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Paul Ryan  \n\tCo-Chair  \n\tConference Committee on the FY 2014 Budget  \n\t1233 Longworth House Office Building  \n\tWashington D.C. 20515 Dear Senator Murray and Representative Ryan, As you work with your colleagues on the conference committee for the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, we urge you to support policies that prioritize America\u2019s seniors and the benefits that they have earned over a lifetime of hard work. While we understand that you and your fellow conferees will have to make difficult decisions to find common ground, we believe that any compromise the conference produces must protect Medicare and Social Security for current and future generations. In the aftermath of the disgraceful and avoidable government shutdown, you have an opportunity to develop a bipartisan budget that reduces our debt and deficit in a responsible manner. To make good on this opportunity, the conference must reject policy reforms that place Medicare and Social Security benefits on the chopping block. Too often, we hear of proposals to drastically slash benefits provided through these critical programs. These proposals are presented under the guise of fiscal responsibility, but would jeopardize the livelihood and health of the millions of seniors who depend on Social Security and Medicare. What the conference committee does in the coming weeks will shape the outcome of the FY 2014 budget process. Now is the time to send a clear message to the American people: While arriving at a solution to a budget impasse does require difficult choices, it does not require Americans to surrender their hard-earned benefits. Medicare and Social Security are central to the health and retirement security of our nation\u2019s seniors. Millions of Americans who have paid into these systems are counting on these investments to be there for them. That is why we urge you and your fellow conferees to support a responsible conference agreement that protects these bedrock promises we have made to our seniors. We thank you for your attention to this matter. We hope and expect that your deliberations will be successful. ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140228023014/http://shea-porter.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/shea-porter-fights-to-protect-medicare-and-social-security"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7674340158700943, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}