Bob's Blog
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to honor the enormous impact of our Nation’s classroom teachers. In our increasingly global economy, great teachers equip students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in a competitive economy, while also cultivating the development of active and thoughtful citizens. With a growing body of research that highlights the importance of teachers on the lives of their students, their daily work deserves recognition as a valuable contribution to the strength of our Nation.
My first job out of college was as a fifth grade teacher in North Philadelphia as part of my service in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. This brief experience gave me a firsthand appreciation of the challenges faced by our school teachers. This week, I will reflect on the great teachers who shaped my life and desire to pursue public service, as well the countless Pennsylvania educators who work tirelessly to ensure that every child achieves his or her potential. Please join me in thanking teachers for their extraordinary commitment to students, families and the communities in which they serve.
Closing the Medicare 'donut hole'
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that, as of December 2011, almost 236,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Pennsylvania saw their prescription drug costs reduced by discounts in the Medicare Part D or ‘donut hole’ coverage gap. In total, Pennsylvanians with Medicare saved over $156 million, at an average of about $660 per person. Nationally, almost 4 million people with Medicare saved $2.1 billion on their prescription drug costs as of December 2011. Older Pennsylvanians will continue to see these benefits until the ‘donut hole’ is completely closed in 2020.
As this was a measure I supported I was very pleased to hear this news. I have seen how challenging and frustrating the costs of health care and prescription drugs can be for older Pennsylvanians and this is a great step forward to fix this problem. In 2011, older Americans and people with disabilities saved $300.3 million on blood sugar lowering drugs, $263.2 million on cholesterol lowering drugs, and $120.2 million on blood pressure medications. I look forward to continuing to fight hard for all Pennsylvanians.
Extending the Payroll Tax Cut Through 2012
Today, I will take part in the Payroll Tax Cut Conference Committee’s first meeting, as we begin our work to reach agreement on an employee payroll tax cut for all of 2012.
Just before the holidays, the payroll tax cut, which had been set to expire at the end of December, was extended for two months through February. This extension prevented a tax increase on 6.7 million workers in Pennsylvania and provided some good news for families going into Christmas.
The payroll tax cut reduces employees’ share of the Social Security payroll tax from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent of earnings. For the average Pennsylvania worker, this tax cut will boost take-home pay by nearly $1,000 in 2012.
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