Trans Pacific Partnership: Bad for retirees and working people CSEA retiree activists are urging people to contact their congressional representatives and urge them to vote against an international trade agreement that could not only cause prescription drug costs to skyrocket, but jeopardize middle class American jobs. The Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a free-trade deal between the United States, Canada and 11 nations in the Asia-Pacific region that would eliminate tariffs on goods and services and end other barriers. These countries comprise about 40 percent of the world’s economy. “The Trans Pacific Partnership legislation will likely lead to taking jobs out of the United States and create rising medical and drug costs for each of us,” CSEA Retiree Executive Committee Chair Judy Richards said. “Many may feel it is something that won’t hurt us. That couldn’t be further from the truth.” Hard pill to swallow The proposed TRANS PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP agreement contains provisions that could jeopardize your ability to get prescription drugs at affordable prices, including blocking patent reforms and jeopardizing the government’s ability to list and price prescription drugs in public programs, including Medicaid and Medicare. The deal would give major pharmaceutical companies a strong level of protection against cheaper generic drugs, including allowing pharmaceutical companies to extend their monopolies on lifesaving drugs, which would prevent or delay the development of more affordable generic drugs. Jobs at stake The deal could also jeopardize millions of good, middle class American jobs, which could be sent to other countries in which workers would be subject to poverty-level wages and dangerous working conditions. Public services would also suffer, as job losses will ultimately lead to lower tax revenue and a reduced Clinton will stand with retirees Your retirement security, as well as that of future retirees, is on the line in the 2016 presidential elections. The outcome of the election Clinton will play a major role in the future of Social Security and Medicare, two federal programs that millions of people rely on to sustain themselves. That’s why it’s so important to stand with those who will stand by us. CSEA has endorsed Hillary Clinton for U.S. president and one of the many reasons why we are supporting Clinton’s candidacy is because she will support you and other retirees and middle class people. “There is no question that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified candidate in the race for President and has demonstrated her ability to lead over and over again,” CSEA President Danny Donohue said. “Just as important, she has earned the respect of CSEA members and other working people, and the majority of our members strongly support her candidacy.” “American workers built the middle class by fighting for higher wages, safer working conditions, retirement security, and the right to collectively bargain,” Clinton said after CSEA endorsed her. “Now, working families are under attack by Republicans who want to silence workers, strip them of their hard-won rights, and keep stacking the deck for those at the top. As president, I will stand up for workers and fight attacks on collective bargaining. I will fight to protect retirement security, including defined benefit plans and Social Security — ability for public entities to provide vital services such as those that many of your CSEA brothers and sisters provide. The partnership could also open the doors to increased privatization of public services. What you can do “We are asking you to write letters to your representatives,” Richards said. “We need to put the pressure on our Washington leadership and demand that they do not support this bill. This trade deal will hurt retirees as well as all Americans. We can’t afford the higher pharmaceutical costs or job losses this deal will likely bring.” See right for a sample letter to write to your representatives. because when unions are strong, families are strong, and when families are strong, America is strong.” Social Security Clinton strongly supports preserving and protecting Social Security, and proposes to strengthen the program in the following ways (source: HillaryClinton.com): • Defend the program against attacks by its opponents, including fighting privatization attempts, opposing reducing annual cost-of-living adjustments, opposing efforts to raise the retirement age and opposing closing the long-term shortfall on the backs of the middle class. • Expand Social Security for widows and for those who took significant time away from the paid work force to care for family members. • Ask the wealthiest people to contribute more to Social Security, with options including taxing some of their income above the current Social Security cap, and taxing some income that isn’t now being taxed. Medicare Clinton supports preserving Medicare, which has been enhanced by Affordable Care Act provisions that have made preventive care available without cost sharing and have begun to close the drug coverage gap, also known as the “donut hole.” She would also continue to negotiate for lower drug costs and expand on reforms to the system of delivering care. Some Republican candidates support repealing the Affordable Care Act and privatizing or otherwise reducing Medicare benefits. 4 CSEA RETIREE NEWS
Retiree News Winter 2016
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