| EDITION 24 | April 2024 |
CONTENTS
- Chair's Corner
- from the Editor
- VOTING
- MEDICARE | SOCIAL SECURITY | WEP
- TAXATION
- TAKE ACTION
- EVENTS
- VOLUNTEERS
- Final Thoughts
Chair’s Corner
Dear Seniors,
I wish you a happy spring! I share this poem with you in the hope that like Wordsworth we can ponder “what man has made of man”. Let’s continuously hope for peace in the world, and a much greater consideration on every part of this globe of one another's humanity.
— Betsy Ettorre, Chair of the Seniors Caucus
Lines Written in Early Spring
By William Wordsworth
I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.
The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:—
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.
The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?
from the Editor
Social Security Works for all Americans
Our first webinar for 2024 featured guest speaker Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works who, once again, gave us hope, and a lot to think about.
If you’d like to see the replay, it can be found on DA’s YouTube Channel. Thanks to ProDA, the Global Disability Caucus and Youth Caucus for joining us.
Earth Day 2024 - How did you celebrate?
I googled "improve our carbon footprint" and these are just a few of the ideas that came pouring out.
#1 - Switch to a vegan diet. (Ouch.) However, as I age I eat less meat and more eggs.
#2 - Cut down on cooking time - use a microwave to defrost frozen foods and heat leftovers, as "Microwave ovens are the most efficient form ofcooking from an energy-use perspective," says Pat Remick, a spokesperson at the Natural Resources Defense Council. But use it sparingly because the manufacture of microwaves contributes to carbon dioxide emissions.
#3 - Use fresh organically grown food.
#4 - Bring your own bags to the grocery store
#5 - Plant a garden
Here is a list of various ideas , not food related, from the European Youth Portal.
Older Americans Month
Every May, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) leads the nation’s observance of Older Americans Month (OAM). This year's theme is Powered by Connection, which recognizes the profound impact that meaningful relationships and social connections have on our health and well-being. Join us in exploring the vital role that connectedness plays in supporting independence and aging in place.
Use the materials on this page to celebrate OAM with your community.
Don’t forget to follow #OlderAmericansMonth on X/Twitter for the latest from ACL to see what others are planning!
More holidays in May
1 - International Workers Day / May Day
8 - Red Cross & Red Crescent Day
13 to 19 - World Mental Health Awareness Week
15 - International Conscience Objector Day
21 - World Day for Cultural Diversity
VOTING
Primary Season
Primary season is just about finished with only eight more states - Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, West Virginia - scheduled to hold their primaries in May & June. Every vote counts, so check for deadlines to Register to Vote, and Request your Ballot at Vote from Abroad. And tell 3 friends. Follow up with them to make sure they cast their ballot in 2024. It’s simple, yet its impact is HUGE.
The Electoral College
"The movement to end the Electoral College is making progress: Minnesota joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact last year, and Maine's House of Representatives has passed a bill to join!
Between the mass challenges brought by an out-of-state voter suppression group and the individual ones brought by self-appointed internet sleuths, nearly 500,000 Georgians had their right to vote threatened in 2022. Only around 2,000 of the challenges were successful, and another 3,000 or so voters had to update some documentation.
If you don't remember -- The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement among a group of U.S. states and the District of Columbia to award all their electoral votes to whichever presidential candidate wins the overall popular vote in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 2023, 15 states plus DC had previously joined, accounting for 196 electoral votes of the 270 needed to win.
In 2024, Minnesota brought another 10 electoral votes, totaling 76% of the Electoral College votes needed to make the popular vote the law of the land. Minnesota passed a slate of voting rights protections alongside joining the compact, which was the best news we'd seen about ending the Electoral College in a while, at least until Maine's bill started moving.
Defenders of voting rights like Cory Booker, AOC, Robert Reich, and Stacey Abrams recognize that the Electoral College is harming our democracy and needs to go. State legislatures in Nevada, Michigan, and Maine are heeding the call and also considering bills to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
The Electoral College is the biggest tool that opponents of voting rights have to swing national elections and suppress the will of the people.We have to take away this dangerous mechanism that enabled the January 6th insurrection before it happens again."
- from the Voter Action Project 's Electoral College Team
Is This America?
"Is this America? Is attacking Capitol police officers – honest, good people dedicated to protecting and serving democracy – with baseball bats and spears, spraying them with WD-40, calling them hateful slurs – is that America?
Is a President of the United States emboldening a riot on the Capitol, encouraging people threatening to kill former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Vice President Mike Pence, who traveled to Washington ready to act on those threats – is that America?
That's not American to me. I believe in an America that protects its people, regardless of their political beliefs. An America that values democracy and those that are chosen to represent it. That's what I believed in while I served as a Capitol police officer during the January 6 insurrection." - Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn decided to run for office in Maryland
Five Senators
These five Senators must keep their seats in order for Democrats to maintain control of the Senate. They are all being targeted for defeat - let’s help them win their races this November!
Newest Assault on the Voting Rights Act
Assaults continue to play out state by state as Republicans attempt to move legislative control to the states, where they can assert control out of sight of the national press. What better way to do that than to attack the Federal Government.
"Republican Paul Graves work was about to come undone. In the wee hours of Nov. 15, 2021, he and his fellow Republican on Washington state’s independent redistricting commission had finally prevailed on their Democratic counterparts to agree to the maps voters would use in the upcoming election." But then, Read on …
MEDICARE | SOCIAL SECURITY | WEP
April was Medicaid Awareness Month
Although Medicare/Medicaid is not available for those of us living overseas, the Medicaid program provides health care for 93.4 million Americans with limited income. This includes 42 million children who are insured through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), 33.9 million adults, 4.8 million people with disabilities, and 7.2 million seniors. Medicaid is the largest payer for long term care.
The Affordable Care Act provided incentives to expand Medicaid to provide insurance for more Americans, but 10 states have opted out leaving millions who would be eligible if they lived in other states.
"Medicaid is the primary funder of long-term and nursing care in this country helping millions of vulnerable patients get the care they need,” said Joseph Peters, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “The Alliance will continue to fight for the ten holdout states to expand Medicaid and to ensure that the program is there for seniors who need it."
2024 marks the 7th annual celebration of Medicaid Awareness Month . We celebrate the struggle to retain benefits for friends and family back home. You never know - any of us might move back, so the fight is real for us too.
KFF Health News: The Burden of Getting Medical Care Can Exhaust Older Patients - By Judith Graham
Susanne Gilliam, 67, was walking down her driveway to get the mail in January when she slipped and fell on a patch of black ice.
Pain shot through her left knee and ankle. After summoning her husband on her phone, with difficulty she made it back to the house.
And then began the run-around that so many people face when they interact with America’s uncoordinated health care system.
Gilliam’s orthopedic surgeon, who managed previous difficulties with her left knee, saw her that afternoon but told her “I don’t do ankles.”
He referred her to an ankle specialist who ordered a new set of X-rays and an MRI.
Wealth Disparity
"The top 0.1% of Americans owns 14% of all the country’s wealth: $20trillion. An increase from 9% in 1990, this is the highest proportion of wealth ever recorded for the ultra-rich.
In fact, only the top 1% of Americans have seen an increase in their percentage of the nation’s wealth since 1990 -- all the other brackets, the other 99%, have lost ground since then." - Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor
Social Security Works!
The Social Security Administration has created online tools to help us apply for Social Security & Medicare, however the best way to get started is on our Seniors Caucus SS/Medicare website and on our U.S. Benefits page.
Have you joined Social Security Works yet? You’ll receive updates on their work, be able to take direct action, and sign petitions to protect Social Security. Watch our webinar here.
TAXATION
Open Comment Period for Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR)
The US Department of Treasury is hosting an open comment period on the FBAR.This is a critical opportunity for your voice to be heard about the tax compliance nightmare suffered by Americans abroad.
Here’s all you need to do:
- Go to the relevant US Government page at this link.
- Leave a comment! We’ll include a template below - but the more personal your comment is the better!
Comments close April 29, so be sure to submit before the deadline.
Thanks for your help!!
Please share this with any friends or family members that might be interested in submitting a formal comment!
Tax Filing for Americans Abroad
DA’s Taxation Task Force (TTF) has an ongoing series of webinars to help answer your questions. Please visit their site and sign up for the one that suits you.
They broadcast two this month -
- Demystifying Taxes & Voting for Americans Abroad
- How to Pass Residency Based Taxation
If you’ve just moved overseas and want to learn about tax filing, Americans Overseas created a FAQ section at the bottom of this page that will walk you through the basic information.
TAKE ACTION
What can we do?
Join a State Group on Facebook
For the past 12+ years, volunteers from Democrats Abroad have run groups for each U.S. State on Facebook where they post everything from state photos and local events, to state-specific voting deadlines and "how to" information on all aspects of voting. Through them we’ve attracted new members and leaders to DA. If you’re curious about your voting state group, or would like to meet people from “back home” who live abroad, you can read about them here , and find your state group here.
State Teams
DA’s State Teams continue to have huge impacts on laws and lawmakers back home. More teams are being built which will tackle issues of importance state by state. If you haven’t joined a team, or if you have questions, email the organizers today .
Phonebankers needed!
Thank you for the enthusiastic response to the Voter Assistance Trainings. So far, nearly 150 people became certified Voter Assistants! We can always use more help. To sign up, please go to: www.democratsabroad.org/voter_assistance_training.
On behalf of the Voter Assistance Training Team,
Heidi, Linda, Randi, Ellie, and Andrew
EVENTS
Friday - 26 April - Coffee Chat
Don’t miss our Seniors Caucus monthly chat from 9 to 10:30 am Eastern Time (US & Canada). This month we will look at Seniors Caucus Events, and discuss Getting More Involved in Democrats Abroad . Everyone is very welcome!
RSVP to get the Zoom link, and add it to your calendar. Next month: Friday, 24 May.
DA Events - Quick Links
VOLUNTEERS
We need you!! Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. You can find the list of positions DA is looking to fill on DA’s Volunteer page.
- The Global Seniors Caucus is looking for volunteer members of a new "Social Security Committee". We hope to get this committee going by next month. We’ll be focusing on how SS impacts retirees. Please email our Chair to let her know that you are interested.
- The Global Seniors Caucus is always on the lookout for volunteers. Email us for details on our volunteer opportunities.
- The Global Black Caucus is searching to fill more positions. Get in touch here.
- The Global Communications Team is also looking for volunteers as they ramp up for the 2024 election! Do you have a communications background? Are you interested in helping? If so, please fill out the Global Communications Team Interest Form.
Final Thoughts
"Labour was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labour, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased."
- Adam Smith , Economist
"History shows that the anecdote to money power and the political power it purchases and leverages is “people power” (i.e. organized independent and inclusive movements and organizations) focused on democratizing our existing, at least on paper, public institutions and rules. That includes government and the US constitution."
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