Payment of $250 to Social Security recipients rejected by House, Senate
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Reporting from Washington — A proposal to provide a one-time payment of $250 to Social Security recipients failed in both the U.S. House and Senate on Wednesday.
Under the formula used to calculate cost-of-living adjustments for the retirement safety net, seniors will otherwise see no rise in their payments in 2011. Advocates for the plan argued in part that the formula used to calculate inflation fails to accurately reflect costs.
Though a majority supported the approval in the House, the final margin was short of the supermajority required under a suspension of the rules. In the Senate, the final tally of 53-45 was short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.
Republicans who blocked the measure cited concern about the deficit.
“While many seniors are hurting, so too are American working families. Increasing our nation’s crushing deficit on the backs of our children by an additional $14 billion is wrong,” said Rep. Sam Johnson (R- Texas).
The measure would have cost approximately $13 billion.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D- Ohio) took to the Senate floor after the vote, charging Republicans with hypocrisy for blocking the measure the same week they called for an extension of tax cuts for the wealthy.
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