Newburgh Retired Teachers' Chapter

08/06/2025

Recently, our national union affiliates, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA), participated in two events on Capitol Hill.

The first was a hearing convened by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) that explored the adverse effects of the recently-passed reconciliation bill on K-12 education. The NEA remarked, “As the administration continues to attack our national public schools, we must continue to organize and advocate for the public schools, our students, and neighborhoods.”

A town hall meeting on Capitol Hill led by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) explored the teacher pay crisis. Participants included AFT President Randi Weingarten and more than 100 educators across the country. “Forty percent of teachers have to work extra jobs just to make ends meet,” said Senator Sanders. “The situation has become so absurd that four hedge fund managers on Wall Street earn more money in a single year than every kindergarten teacher in America combined—nearly 120,000 teachers.”

The participants applauded Senator Sanders for introducing the Pay Para- Professionals Act and the Education Support Staff Act. Both bills take important steps to gain educators the recognition, the support, and the compensation they deserve.

As you may know, at the end of June, the Department of Education announced it was withholding nearly $7 billion in FY2025 education funding. In response to bipartisan pressure throughout the country, in July the administration pledged to release about $1.3 billion for summer and after-school programs.

On March 4, 2025, the RTC adopted a motion opposing all cuts in federal aid for Newburgh’s schools, and we pledged to oppose all cuts in federal support for our public schools. Please visit THE LINK BELOW to a featured action, sponsored by the NEA: emailing members of Congress and opposing cuts in education funding. Please join us in our support of the email campaign.

Thank you. Stay well.

President Trump’s FY2026 budget slashes education funding by 15 percent—on top of the $350 million in cuts to student loan programs made by the reconciliation bill, H.R. 1.

07/30/2025

Once again, scammers are targeting senior citizens. Scammers may believe that seniors are more trusting than younger Americans and they may be less tech-savvy. You always need to be on the alert to protect your private information. The following article from the Alliance for Retired Americans contains valuable information for retirees provided by law enforcement officials:

"Law enforcement officials and the Federal Trade Commission are warning about a new Medicare fraud scheme targeting seniors. Scammers are exploiting recent changes to Social Security and Medicare—introduced by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency—to trick beneficiaries and defraud the Medicare system.

Posing as employees from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), scammers are calling seniors and claiming they need to “update” or “verify” personal information. But these calls are not legitimate. The scammers are collecting Medicare numbers and other sensitive information to submit fraudulent claims for medical equipment or medication, pocketing the reimbursements.

It’s important to know: CMS will never call you unless you’ve contacted them first. They are not issuing new Medicare cards. If you receive a call claiming you need to verify your Medicare number or are being issued a new card, it’s a scam.

'As long as older adults keep their Medicare information private and avoid phone calls asking for these details, they should not have to worry about being taken advantage of,' said Alliance President Robert Roach, Jr. 'Make sure to stay on high alert and protect your Medicare card and number as if it was a credit card.'”

If you believe your Medicare number has been compromised or want to report a suspicious call, contact Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Stay well.

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07/23/2025

Last week marked the 60th anniversary of the Older Americans Act (OAA). On July 14, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law. Now, at a time when 10,000 Americans turn 65 each day, the Administration has proposed a budget that significantly slashes programs funded by the Act. The OAA funds services for seniors such as family caregiver support, transportation assistance, meal delivery, and protections against elder abuse.

A major reason for the law’s success is that it gives states flexibility in deciding where and how to use funds, but as a result, many Americans aren’t even aware that the program they rely on is funded by the federal government.

OAA programs fund thousands of senior centers, Meals on Wheels, transportation to medical appointments, as well as the Medicare State Health Insurance Programs (SHIPs), Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), and the National Caregiver Family Support Program (NFCSP).

Workers who administer OAA programs were already reeling from layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in April that slashed 40% of the staff from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), which coordinates federal aging and disability policy. The Administration’s budget cuts $5 million from elder rights programs and completely eliminates funding for health promotion, disease prevention, and Aging and Disability Resource Centers.

“The Older Americans Act has served seniors well for 60 years,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance for Retired Americans. “Lawmakers should be working to safeguard these programs with more funding instead of trying to cut them.” We completely agree. Stay well.

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04/30/2025

In a significant ruling, a federal court granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from further accessing sensitive personal data stored within the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) systems.

The ruling by Federal District Court Judge Ellen Lipton Hollender in Maryland came in response to a motion filed by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the Alliance of Retired Americans.

In its ruling, the court recognized that the DOGE operatives' unprecedented access to private Social Security data violated critical privacy protections and would cause irreparable harm. The preliminary injunction stops DOGE from accessing SSA data while the broader lawsuit moves forward.

Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans Richard Fiesta said, "Older Americans can breathe a little easier knowing that Elon Musk and his DOGE team have been clearly ordered to stay away from their most personal financial and health information."

We must continue in our fight to ensure that every American, after a lifetime of work, receives the Social Security benefits that they have earned and that their personal information is secure. Stay well.

Image via SSA

04/23/2025

As you know, President Trump recently issued an executive order calling for the U.S. Department of Education to be dismantled, ceasing many of its activities. The consequences to our schools are real, with students being harmed the most. Students in every community benefit from programs run by the Department of Education. According to the National Education Association (NEA), eliminating or dismantling the department will:

--Increase class size
--Take resources away from our most vulnerable students
--Take away services from students with disabilities
--Cut job training programs
--Make higher education more expensive and out of reach for many students
--Gut student civil rights protections.

It is clear that this action does nothing to support students, to educate students, or to prepare them for the future. We must be very aware that this action may well result in stripping vital resources and federal funding from our public schools, while diverting them to private schools.

The RTC, in a motion adopted in early March, pledged to oppose all cuts in federal support to Newburgh’s schools. Please join us as we continue to fight and to campaign against “regressive measures that will hurt our students and our schools.” Here’s what you can do to help: Let’s tell our representatives in Congress that we are counting on them to protect our students and our public schools from harmful cuts.

The AFT and the NEA, our union’s national affiliates, filed separate lawsuits against the Trump administration over its attempt to dismantle the Department of Education. We’ll keep you posted on developments as the litigation proceeds.

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04/16/2025

Social Security (and Medicare and Medicaid) is a lifeline for America’s taxpayers, providing income and dignity after a lifetime of hard work. It is, therefore, very troubling to us that our federal government is attacking these successful and important programs.

Recently, DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency, apparently being run by Elon Musk) listed 47 Social Security offices across the country that it intends to close.

There have been some very serious concerns regarding DOGE’s plan to shut down Social Security’s toll-free phone support service. Because of a nationwide pushback regarding the plan, Social Security backed off on the cuts to the phone service. DOGE, however, is still eyeing other service cuts—from office closures to personnel firings. Some reports indicate that the Social Security Administration’s plan to fire 50% of its workforce could potentially jeopardize the timely delivery of benefit checks.

We urge you to continue to call on our elected representatives to act responsibly on behalf of these programs. We urge our representatives to pass the proposed legislation that protects field offices, safeguards our data, and ensures the transparency and accountability of the SSA. Social Security is our money, earned through a lifetime of work, and we have every right to make sure that it is spent according to its promise and the law.

Washington, D.C. - Today, House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) introduced three bills with his Democratic colleagues to protect Americans from the Trump-Musk plan to gut Social Security.

04/09/2025

Social Security is the backbone of our nation’s social safety net, ensuring that seniors can retire with dignity and providing critical support to millions of children and people with disabilities. It is estimated that about 73 million Americans, more than 1 in 5, received benefits from Social Security. These recipients depend on Social Security to live full, healthy lives. Unfortunately and tragically, our federal government is waging a massive assault to discredit Social Security, paving the way for benefit cuts, presumably in order to pay for tax breaks for the very wealthy.

Recently, Social Security announced plans to cut 7,000 jobs — or more than 12% of the agency’s workforce — a move that will force the closure of dozens of Social Security field offices. With staffing already at a 50-year low, Social Security employees are warning that these cuts will mean significantly longer processing times for benefits and disability applications, as well as increased wait times over the phone and for in-person visits.

Likewise, accessing Americans’ private information and forcing millions of seniors to undergo unnecessary in-person verification at gutted field offices seems to us to be abusive. In response, several pieces of legislation to protect these essential services have been introduced in Congress. The RTC stands in support of these legislative efforts.

Slashing Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, it seems to us, will not make life easier or more affordable. We think working families and seniors deserve better. We stand together in the fight to uphold our values, protect our benefits, and safeguard our democracy.

Washington, D.C. - Today, House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) introduced three bills with his Democratic colleagues to protect Americans from the Trump-Musk plan to gut Social Security.

03/26/2025

During the month of March, we celebrate Women’s History Month. Along with International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8, we honor the strength, resilience and achievements of women everywhere. From trailblazers who inspire change to the incredible women in our own communities, the month and day are all about empowerment, appreciation, and equality!

It also reminds us how much remains to be done to ensure women enjoy equal rights, equal pay, and equal opportunity in the United States. Over many years, we have advocated that every woman be paid a living wage, and we continue to call for an increase in the minimum wage, which would mean higher Social Security benefits while strengthening the Social Security Trust Fund.

In our view, we can best honor women for their full range of accomplishments by providing for the equality that they so richly deserve.