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Show 43 HEALTH AND WELFARE the Older Americans Community Service Employment Act, spon sored by Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D Mass.), which would authorize the Secretary of Labor to fund up to 90 per cent of the costs of developing part-time employment opportunities for low income persons 55 and older. Leading spokesmen for the elderly have estimated that perhaps 4 million older Americans would be ready, willing and able to participate in such programs.w • Equally disconcerting, the Administration attempts to puff up the budget outlays to create a false and misleading picture about funding for programs serving older Americans. However, the over whelming proportion of these "expenditures" come from trust funds, elderly made payroll contributions during their work a careful analysis of the Administration's figures re ing veals that about 98 per cent of the total budget outlay for the aged is for Social Security, retirement, income supplement, and health programs." to which the lives. And The Congress has continually fiance of White House wishes. raised Social Security benefits in de 1971, the Democratic Congress and the Republican Adminis tration clashed over the amount of the Social Security benefit in crease. High-level Administration spokesmen initially urged Con not to approve a rise in benefits in excess of 5 per cent. Later, gress this request was eased up to 6 per cent, but this increase would have been nullified by the time the elderly received the first check which reflected this boost. Once more, the Congress was compelled to inter vene by approving a 10 per cent increase to protect the elderly from • In inflation.'22 impact of the action is that Social Security recipients receiving about $4 billion more in benefits than if the Administration had prevailed in the 1970 and 1971 Social Security battles. Moreover, nearly one million more elderly persons would be on the poverty rolls if the Congress had accepted the Nixon pro posals." • are The net now On June 30.,1972, Senator Frank Church (D Idaho), chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced an amend ment to raise Social Security benefits by 20 per cent, effective Sep • tember 1, 1972. The measure would finance the increase by raising the taxable wage base from $9,000 to $10,000 in FY 73 and to $12,000 in FY 74; the Social Security tax rate would jump from 5.2 percent to 5.5 per cent. It would also provide for an automatic Adminlstration pressures for Inadequate Social Security |
