With the New Year brings new challenges and new opportunities. I will continue to work on a bipartisan basis to ensure the priorities of seniors are enacted into law. Just before adjourning, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills I authored to improve the lives of seniors.

Current trends indicate it will be over 6% and largest cost-of-living adjustment since 1982; announcement due next month
Sept. 15, 2008 – Senior citizens may be headed for their largest pay increase – or cost of living adjustment – in more than 25 years, following this year’s Social Security COLA of only 2.3 percent. Projections are now being made that the increase for 2009 will almost certainly exceed six percent.

Recently, with my strong support, Congress enacted the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (Medicare Improvement Act). This bill, which passed over the veto of President Bush, strengthens Medicare and ensures that seniors and persons with disabilities can keep access to the health care they have been promised.

While the spirit of giving seems to grow during the holiday season, the IRS reminds taxpayers to keep some important points in mind when making donations with the expectation of deducting them on a federal tax return.
Taxpayers can deduct donations only if they make them to a qualified tax exempt organization.
"The IRS website allows taxpayers to search for many charitable organizations online with Publication 78," said IRS spokesperson Luis D. Garcia. “Qualified organizations can include non profit groups that range from religious to scientific, charitable to educational, or that work to prevent cruelty to children or animals. Generally, organizations will be able to tell you whether they are federally tax exempt and eligible to accept tax-deductible donations."

Austin, Texas – September 9, 2009 In Taipei today, Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) graduate and star athlete Delvin Furlough, took first place in the Men’s 400 meter track and field event. Furlough’s time of 48.16 earned him his first gold medal at the 2009 Deaflympics. Furlough competes in the 100 meter and the 400 meter relays on September 12.