No Time to Celebrate

On Tuesday, President Biden and congressional Democrats were celebrating, patting themselves on the back for their so-called “Inflation Reduction Act”, while families were given news of still high inflation numbers. The latest reading of the consumer price index indicated that prices are up 8.3 percent over last year, which is higher than economists expected. One of the largest price increases families are seeing is in grocery stores, as prices have risen 13.5 percent which is the highest increase since 1979.

While Democrats partied, Americans are suffering with higher prices and the stock market tumbled.

Let’s be clear about three facts about the “Inflation Reduction Act”: 1- it won’t reduce inflation, 2- it will add to our deficit the next several years, and 3- it will result in more tax audits for middle-class Americans. 

A report from the Joint Economic Committee Republican staff indicates that this level of inflation is costing Pennsylvanian families an estimated $606 per month or $7,267 a year. When you consider that the median household income in our congressional district, according to the Census is $68,811, this amounts to a pay cut of over 10 percent.

That is certainly nothing to celebrate.

Our nation is also nearing another grim milestone as our national debt approaches $31,000,000,000,000 ($31 trillion). Our growing debt along with rising interest rates will mean that just paying the interest on our ballooning debt will cost more, crowding out funding for other important priorities like our national defense.

As I told Fox News last week, if there is any desire for fiscal responsibility in this administration, it is not evident.  

Bipartisan Trade Deals should be Biden Administration Priority

This week the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing to discuss the future of America’s trade relationship with Taiwan.

Throughout the hearing it became clear that there appears to be broad bipartisan support for a trade agreement with Taiwan, but the Biden administration is failing to make advancing trade agreements a priority.

We know that trade agreements, like the USMCA, have the potential to create new opportunities for local businesses in the agriculture and manufacturing sector. All we need is for the Biden administration to make this a priority.

Listen to my comments and questions from the hearing below:

Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Help Seniors 

I along with a bipartisan group of my colleagues in the House have introduced legislation called the Medicare Enrollment Protection Act.

This bipartisan legislation would help to protect seniors enrolling in Medicare Part B after COBRA coverage expiration from potential coverage gaps and late enrollment penalties.

Under current law, all seniors are required to enroll in Medicare Part B within three months of turning 65. While seniors with employer coverage who continue working past 65 are allowed an exception to this rule, COBRA continuation coverage does not qualify.

As a result, seniors who choose to continue their care through COBRA without enrolling in Medicare are subject to waiting periods of up to a year before they can begin receiving coverage and risk a lifetime of increased Part B premiums and other financial penalties.

Our bill would create a transition period for seniors on COBRA coverage to enroll in Medicare Part B, without receiving a late enrollment penalty.

This is legislation that I have been working on since coming to Congress after learning of this issue from a constituent enrolling in Medicare Part B, and I am thankful a bipartisan group of my colleagues are supporting this commonsense fix.

Check Your Passports

September is Passport Awareness Month. Although the summer months of travel may be in the rearview mirror, it is never a bad time to learn about how to apply or renew your passport for future travels! Be sure to check out the Department of State website to learn how to apply for a passport and how to renew your passport.

Honoring POW/MIA Soldiers

Friday marked National POW/MIA Recognition Day. May we always remember and honor the sacrifices of the members of our armed forces who were prisoners of war or are missing in action.

Assistance for 2021 Taxes Available

As we entered this year’s tax filing season, the IRS faces an enormous backlog of millions of unprocessed paper returns from the previous filing year. While the IRS is continuing to process paper returns filed this year, please know that I am continually fighting to ensure that you receive the level of service that you deserve from federal agencies. 

If your 2021 tax return has not been processed, or if you have questions or concerns about your 2021 tax return, my office may be able to help. We can’t always guarantee the outcome that individuals want, but we work to get an answer to your questions and concerns.

In order to contact a federal agency on your behalf, federal law requires that you grant my office permission to reach out to an agency on your behalf. This is done by completing what’s known as a Privacy Act Consent Form.

Click here to be taken to the digital copy of the Privacy Act Consent Form. Please also attach a signed and dated copy of your tax return.

If you would like to print and mail a hard copy of your Privacy Act Consent Form to my office, please click here to complete and print the simple webform. Additionally, please also include a signed and dated copy of your tax return along with your signed Privacy Act Consent Form.   

If I can be of service to you, please do not hesitate to contact my offices. My office will always strive to provide you with prompt, professional and respectful service.

Here to Help

Many individuals have recently contacted my office looking for assistance with their unemployment compensation claims, which are administered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, not federal agencies. If you’re seeking assistance with your unemployment claim, you can contact your state legislator for assistance. Click here to find your state legislator’s contact information. 

Recently the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was launched. Individuals who are struggling or in crisis can simply call or text 988 to reach trained counselors. Individuals can also visit https://988lifeline.org/ to chat with a counselor. Click here to learn more about the lifeline from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Be sure to share this information as September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

Looking for information on federal grants? Learn more about the grant awarding process and search the federal database of grant programs at www.grants.gov.

If you have any questions or issues with a federal agency, please know that my office is here to assist you. You can call my district or Washington, DC offices for assistance or visit my website for any issue with a federal agency or department.

Stay Connected

To stay up-to-date on my work in the district and Washington, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also check out my YouTube page, where there are 100+ videos, many of which are direct responses to your questions.

Sincerely,

Lloyd Smucker