| EDITION 22 | February 2024 |
CONTENTS
- Chair's Corner
- from the Editor
- SOCIAL SECURITY
- ELECTION 2024
- TAX TIME!
- STORIES
- EVENTS
- VOLUNTEERS
- Final Thoughts
Chair’s Corner
This month I want to reflect on how recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. As Seniors, we want the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to be respected by all countries around the world.
Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages.
Article 2 clearly states: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.”
The 30 articles of the UDHR are powerful and precise. We can only hope that all peoples recognize the importance of UDHR. Perhaps, if they would there would be no more conflicts or excuses for conflict in the world. Let's fight for peace and recognize the terrible trauma of war which benefits no one.
— Betsy Ettorre, Chair of the Seniors Caucus
from the Editor
This month, as promised, we are focusing on Social Security. It’s quite heavy reading this time, but exciting too because as you know, we’re in for a tough fight this year. A good outcome in November will depend on each one of us.
WEP repeal - Did you write to Congress?
There is still time, and this is vital for us all. Currently there are two pieces of legislation slowly making their way through Congress to repeal the WEP: HR.82 in the House, and S.597 in the Senate - both entitled the “Social Security Fairness Act”. If passed, they will eliminate the WEP!
We're urge you to contact your Senators and Representative today to co-sponsor these bills if they haven't done so already. Please use these draft emails today. Thank you!
Biden — Trump
Could they be any different? As we watch the Trump guilty verdicts pile up, the Biden allegations are being cleared:
”Justice Department announced that an FBI informant was lying when he said a Ukrainian oligarch told him he’d bribed President Joe Biden, dealing yet another setback to the House impeachment inquiry against the president."
Donate to Win
We can only be effective with your help. Democrats Abroad reaches out to its members via Country Committees, Caucuses & Task Forces, State Teams, and Vote from Abroad. Please consider making a sustaining (monthly) donation to Democrats Abroad to help us find more voters abroad.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Fiscal Commission Act
The battle is on. The Fiscal Commission Act proposes to set up a new commission which will grant the House the power to meet behind closed doors to recommend how and where to make cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and fast-track those cuts through Congress. According to Alex Lawson of Social Security Works, it is extremely dangerous. The Century Foundation summed it up in this article.
President Biden has proposed a sweeping overhaul of America's top retirement program. Here's the comprehensive scorecard on whether that plan would work.
For most Americans, Social Security is a necessary source of income that helps make ends meet. More than two decades of annual polling from Gallup have shown that between 80% and 90% of then-current retirees, along with 76% to 88% of future retirees, are or expect to be in some way reliant on their monthly Social Security check to cover their expenses.
To ensure the financial well-being of an aging workforce, the foundation of America's top retirement program needs to remain rock-solid. Unfortunately, cracks in this foundation have been apparent for nearly four decades.
More than 67 million current beneficiaries, along with well over 100 million workers in the labor force, are counting on elected lawmakers to strengthen Social Security and avoid a catastrophe. This includes President Joe Biden, who, prior to being elected as president in 2020, unveiled a multipoint plan to overhaul Social Security. Read article.
Protecting Social Security is not just “an old person’s” issue. It is, more critically, a “young person’s issue”
OP ED by Brendan Read, Chair, Seniors Caucus WEP Committee
As the cost of living rises and wages stagnate, Social Security has become the only retirement income for more and more Americans. It is the generations following us that will be shafted should the GOP get its way to shrink or abolish Social Security.
The GOP would have you thinking we “can’t afford” Social Security: while handwringing when greedy overpaid CEOs wipe out traditional employer pensions and making 401(k)s too expensive and inadequate to cover retirement. After all, less money for you means higher valuations (and bonuses) for them.
And savings? CEOs are fighting unions: with the active assistance of the GOP with the Orwellian-named “right to work” laws.
With stagnant wages and rising cost of living, who can afford a house or a decent apartment? And with a GOP that has fought against the President’s student loan debt relief plan - while giving and pushing for fat tax cuts and corporate subsidies to the fat cats) - who can afford to put money aside?
Let’s make one point crystal clear - Social Security is not a welfare program like the GOP is making it out to be. As American workers, you paid into it. More importantly, your work created wealth and success for America, the companies and organizations that employ, and with it made possible the high salaries and bonuses enjoyed by top executives.
If your work didn’t benefit them, why would they hire and pay YOU?
Democrats know that Social Security won’t “run out of money” or that its benefits, especially to the next generations, won't “have to be cut back” if funded fairly. Middle class Republicans who have also paid into it, so destroying Social Security will leave the whole middle class with nothing to fall back on.
The GOP opposes Federal taxation and Social Security because it takes money from their campaign donors. Period.
Ironically, if we have no Federal taxes, what becomes of our “top priority” - our military? Republicans claim to be strong on defense, but without Federal taxes, where will the money come from to pay for operations and maintenance, personnel, and weapon and systems along with veterans’ benefits including healthcare, family support, and retirement?
If the GOP supported the middle class, they would work to ensure Social Security’s future, like raising the contribution cap to sustainable levels to follow COLA and restoring sustainable tax rates. Read about tax cap pros and cons.
As things stand now, that isn’t going to happen.
Too many of the younger generation have resigned to their fate and are preparing to WUYD (work until you die). Convinced that SS will not exist for them, they’d be happy to not pay Social Security taxes now, use the pittance to pay bills and live a little, and face the harsh fate when it happens.
This is not a viable option. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can all live out our lives with a modicum of decency. But ONLY if we FIGHT to KEEP Social Security, and ENSURE its future as America’s ONLY viable, fair retirement income program.
The DA Seniors Caucus has formed a Social Security Working Committee. We’d like to hear from you. And we welcome your help. Regardless of age.
Here’s how to contact the DA Seniors Caucus.
Join Social Security Works!
Have you joined yet? You’ll receive updates on their work, take direct action, and sign petitions to protect Social Security. Watch our webinar here.
Social Security - Call to Action!
In our January edition, we asked you, our Members, to each contact Congress regarding the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Until WEP is defeated, this action is ongoing. Please look at our Call To Action! We’ve provided each to follow Call and Email scripts for you.
There is bipartisan support for passing WEP elimination legislation in both houses of Congress. With a push now, we just might be rid of the WEP forever.
ELECTION 2024
One issue we must push for in all 50 states is Vote-At-Home, especially as we are finding that Vote-At-Home increases the youth vote.
Former Labor Secretary, Robert Reich has this to say:
“The participation of young voters is essential for a vibrant democracy, but there is a stark reality we must confront: Republicans continue to orchestrate efforts to suppress the youth vote.
Through tactics like overly-stringent voter ID laws, slashing polling places in young and diverse communities, and curtailing early and mail-in voting, far-right extremists make barriers that purposely target young voters.
These are calculated moves to undermine the democratic process, silencing the voices of young Americans who are crucial for shaping our nation's future. That’s why it's time to turn our attention to a pivotal reform that has shown remarkable success in increasing youth voter participation: transforming every state into a Vote-At-Home state.”
Primary Election Dates for 2024
Here are some links that will help you prepare to vote
- 2024 primary elections for all States.
- Vote from Abroad: Register to Vote, and Request your Ballot. Tell 3 friends!
Vote Tripling
MoveOn started this trend: Tell 3 friends. Follow up with them to make sure they cast their ballot in 2024. That’s all it is, and its impact is HUGE.
California – a solidly blue state, right?
Not so fast: the truth is California sends the most Republicans to Congress after Texas and Florida. Turning California’s swing districts blue could be the key to a Democratic Congress in 2024.
Find out how the California Democrat Party (CADEM) is organizing to win and how you can help at a special online event on Wednesday, February 21, at noon ET.
CADEM leaders Vice-Chair Betty Yee and Organizing Director Cassandra Chavez talk about the state of the state, the issues that Californians care about, and how they are building a ground game to win in swing districts and beyond. RSVP today to this free event, co-sponsored by the Democrats Abroad AAPI Caucus.
2024 Critical Senate Seats
We must keep these Senate seats blue:
Bob Casey (PA), Jacky Rosen (NV), Jon Tester (MT), Sherrod Brown (OH),
Tammy Baldwin (WI)
By donating to Democrats Abroad (DA) you will help us find more voters overseas through ad buys on our Social Media outlets, and pay for the software used by Vote from Abroad phonebanking experts who help people register to vote, and request and return their ballots.
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. They post 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 legislatures back home. More teams are being built which will tackle issues of importance state by state. If you haven’t joined a team already, or if you have questions, email the organizers today!
TAX TIME!
Yes it is tax time, again. Dread and yawn! This is a good guide to filing taxes and it lists our deadlines for overseas voters. Read article.
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.
DA Tax Webinar Series
Rebecca Lammers has created a new webinar series. The next one will be on 28 February. on "How to pass Residency Based Taxation (RBT) for Americans abroad". You can see the previous ones here.
STORIES
I guess spring vacation is on my mind, plus the travel industry keeps sending me these guides. But first, this new series from Nicole Kidman.
Kidman plays Margaret, a landscape architect
"When we meet her, Margaret seems to be in a fog, barely engaged with her son and daughter, or with her husband, Clarke (Brian Tee). Clarke's job is the reason the family has come from New York to Hong Kong, and at the opening of the series, he's secretly seeking comfort in a church because something bad has happened. When an innocent question about a child named "Gus" causes Margaret to flee a room, the nature of that something bad begins to emerge." Read more.
The Unexpected Beauty of Retiring Off the Coast of Africa
Discover the many reasons why the Island of Eternal Spring has become an expat haven.
Revealed: The best countries in the world for expat retirement, 2024
CEOWORLD magazine has recently released a guide that can help you determine which countries offer the most stability if you are considering retiring abroad. The report evaluates each country based on various categories measuring local friendliness, health, and well-being, quality of life, ease of settling in, recreation, culture, nightlife, and diverse culinary options. Read article.
As A Couple, You Can Retire To These Countries For Less than $2,000 A Month
Many people want to experience a bit of a change of scenery and a reduction in living expenses, which can mean moving to a different location. Fortunately, there are plenty of cheap countries to live in around the world, so retiree couples can easily relocate to cut their expenses down to $2,000 per month. Read article.
EVENTS
Friday - 23 February - Coffee Chat
Don’t miss our Seniors and Disability Caucus monthly chats from 9 to 10:30 am Eastern Time (US & Canada). Everyone is very welcome! This month we plan to discuss The Importance of Voter Registration - Check Your Voter Registration - Why & Where to Do So + Volunteering at DA
RSVP to get the Zoom link, and add it to your calendar. Next month: 29 March.
DA Events - Quick Links
VOLUNTEERS
The Global Seniors Caucus is always looking for volunteers. Email us for details on our volunteer opportunities.
- DA needs 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.
- Phonebankers needed! When we vote, we win. To sign up, please go to: www.democratsabroad.org/voter_assistance_training. Voter Assistance Training Team is Heidi, Linda, Randi, Ellie, and Andrew.
Final Thoughts
E pluribus unum - Out of many, one
We can only be effective with your help. Democrats Abroad reaches out to its members via Country Committees, Caucuses & Task Forces, State Teams, and Vote from Abroad.
If you like our work, please consider making a sustaining (monthly)
donation to Democrats Abroad to help us find more voters abroad.
It all goes to helping us Get Out The Vote!
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