Friday Alert   November 9, 2006
Alliance for Retired Americans
888 16th Street, N.W. -  Washington DC, 20006 - (202) 974-8222 - www.retiredamericans.or

SPECIAL ELECTION WRAP-UP AND VETERANS' DAY EDITION

U.S. House and Senate Under New Management!
Following a strong turnout on Election Day, the Democrats will hold a majority of seats in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in the 110th Congress.  In historic midterm election results, Democrats took over control from the Republicans by gaining a minimum of 28 seats in the House while at the same time picking up 6 seats in the Senate.  As of Thursday morning, Democrats in the House will hold at least 230 seats, and the Republicans, 196 seats.  Ten races have yet to be officially decided, but one Louisiana race will be a runoff between two Democrats.  The Democrats are ahead in two of the other nine races; the Republicans are ahead in six; and one Texas race will be determined in a December runoff.  Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is set to become the first female Speaker of the House in American history, and current Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) will step down from his party's leadership altogether.  Corruption was the top-ranked issue to voters: 41% called it "extremely important."  Democrats picked up four seats in Pennsylvania, three seats in Indiana, and three in New York in making gains all across the country, while not losing any of the seats that they currently held.

In the Senate, the Democrats will hold 49 seats and also caucus with two Independents, for a total of 51 seats.  Republicans will hold 49 seats.  Senators Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont are the two Independents who will be a part of the Democrats' majority.  The combination of taking over both the House and Senate had not been done since 1994, when Republicans enjoyed a similar landslide.  Democrats also picked up six governorships, with Minnesota still undecided but likely to remain Republican.

Alliance Members Come Through
"Retired Americans were a key part of Tuesday's historic elections," said Edward Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance.  "In the major House and Senate races across the country, there was a clear mandate to lower the cost of prescription drugs and better protect the retirement security of all Americans.  Specific defeats of anti-senior incumbents such as Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania, Nancy Johnson in Connecticut, and Clay Shaw in Florida were a strong rebuke to those who misused their leadership positions to side with the big drug and insurance companies instead of their constituents.  Johnson was the author of the badly-flawed Medicare prescription drug law, and Shaw was a champion of privatizing Social Security.  In these three races, and in many others, retirees sent out-of-touch politicians straight into retirement. 

"We look forward to working with the 110th Congress to improve the lives of current and future retirees in this country.  We will focus our efforts in support of Speaker-to-be Pelosi's pledge to lower the cost of prescription drugs within the first 100 hours of the new Congress.  I also want to extend my personal thanks to Alliance for Retired Americans members all across their nation for their tireless work in educating and mobilizing seniors on the important issues in this year's elections."

Alliance President George J. Kourpias remarked, "Alliance members once again walked scores of miles to knock on doors and made hundreds of thousands of phone calls to ensure that retirees and their families knew what was at stake.  Their time and energy made a huge impact and is very much appreciated."

Added Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance, "The Alliance was strong from the East coast to the West coast, as well as in America's heartland.  Many of the states that voted out several incumbents are also the states that have the most Alliance members.  I have no doubt that our members' contributions played an important role in this great outcome."

Public Warned About Social Security Scam
The Social Security Administration (SSA) issued a warning on Tuesday about a new e-mail scam that has surfaced recently.  The Agency has received several reports of an e-mail message being circulated with the subject "Cost-of-Living for 2007 update" and purporting to be from SSA.  The message provides information about the 3.3 percent benefit increase for 2007 and contains the following: "NOTE: We now need you to update your personal information. If this is not completed by November 11, 2006, we will be forced to suspend your account indefinitely."  The reader is then directed to a website designed to look like Social Security's Internet website.  Once directed to the phony website, the individual is asked to register for a password and to confirm his/her identity by providing personal information such as the individual's Social Security number, bank account information and credit card information.  SSA Inspector General Patrick O'Carroll recommends that people never provide their Social Security number or other personal information over the Internet or by telephone unless they are extremely confident of the source to whom they are providing that information.  To report receipt of this e-mail message or other suspicious activity to Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG), please call the OIG Hotline at 1-800-269-0271.  (If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call the OIG TTY number at 1-866-501-2101). A Public Fraud Reporting form is also available online at OIG's website www.socialsecurity.gov/oig.

Alliance Members Prove to be Good Political Analysts
Politically-savvy Alliance members correctly predicted the results of this year's election.  On a poll on the Alliance's website that ran through Election Day, 53% of respondents believed the Democrats would capture both the House and the Senate.  A total of 610 votes were cast.  Visit the website, www.retiredamericans.org, to participate in the new poll asking how much prescription drug prices will decline in the next year as a result of the 2006 elections.

Become part of a progressive grassroots movement! Join the Alliance: www.retiredamericans.org/join