Will the 29 Sanders-letter senators co-sponsor the Begich Social Security bill? [View all]

[UCmeNdc]

The most recent Social Security bill, proposed by Alaska Sen. Mark Begich, includes such enhancements as full cancellation of the payroll cap — making the Social Security tax a simple flat tax and not a regressive one — and improves the cost-of-living adjustment by indexing it to the items most bought by the elderly. All round, a very good bill.

This bill also goes on offense, putting a stake in the ground that says Social Security benefits should be enhanced, not just kept the same. I hope you can see the negotiating benefit of that.

The 29 senators who signed the Sen. Sanders letter are playing excellent defense — drawing a line that says No Cuts to the safety net and No New Tax Breaks for the rich. (With the Bush–Obama Tax Cuts set to expire in December, renewing them is without doubt a new tax break.)

Can we get the 29 senators to go on offense as well, and co-sponsor the Begich bill? You could ask them.

Here’s that list of Sanders-letter senators, the good guys in this fight. Note that Mark Begich, the author of the Begich bill, is an organizer:

Organizers:
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) — [phone]
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) — [phone]
Mark Begich (D-AK) — [phone]
Al Franken (D-MN) — [phone]

Other signers:
Harry Reid (D-NV) — [phone]
Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — [phone]
Jack Reed (D-RI) — [phone]
Sherrod Brown ((D-OH) — [phone]
Ron Wyden (D-OR) — [phone]
Patrick Leahy (D-VT) — [phone]
Ben Cardin (D-MD) — [phone]
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) — [phone]
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) — [phone]
Tom Harkin (D-IA) — [phone]
Jeff Merkley (D-OR) — [phone]
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) — [phone]
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) — [phone]
Patty Murray (D-WA) — [phone]
Barbara Boxer (D-CA) — [phone]
Maria Cantwell (D-WA) — [phone]
Daniel Akaka (D-HI) — [phone]
Tim Johnson (D-SD) — [phone]
John Rockefeller (D-WV) — [phone]
Daniel Inouye (D-HI) — [phone]
Tom Udall (D-NM) — [phone]
Robert Menendez (D-NJ) — [phone]
Carl Levin (D-MI) — [phone]
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) — [phone]
Joe Manchin (D-WV) — [phone]

http://americablog.com/2012/11/will-the-29-senators-who-signed-the-sanders-letter-co-sponsor-the-begich-social-security-bill.html