BROWN, BARRASSO INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO EXPEDITE SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR TERMINALLY ILL – U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced bipartisan legislation to expedite the payment of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits to individuals with terminal illnesses by eliminating the five-month waiting period.
“When Americans face terminal illness, they should be able to focus on their health instead of how they’ll pay the bills,” said Brown. “Social Security Disability Insurance is a lifeline for individuals who can’t work because they are too sick. This bill would ensure that terminally ill patients can spend their final months without the added worry of knowing if or when they’ll receive benefits.”
“The last thing Americans facing end-of-life decisions should be concerned about is navigating Washington red tape,” said Barrasso. “We need to make sure Americans facing significant hardships get help when they need it the most. Our bipartisan bill will ensure that people with terminal illnesses receive benefits in a timely manner while still preserving the integrity of the system.”
PORTMAN INVITES COMMUNITY LEADER TO WATCH POPE FRANCIS SPEECH – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) announced that he has invited Sister Margarita Brewer, Sister of Charity (SC) to be his guest in the Senate gallery for the Sept. 24 speech by Pope Francis to a Joint Session of Congress.
Sister Margarita, SC has dedicated her life to serving the Latino community in Greater Cincinnati. She is a 2015 Northern Kentucky University Lincoln Award recipient, a community leader, and a friend of Portman’s. Sister Margarita, SC founded the English Language Learning (ELL) Foundation Inc. in 2003 and continues to serve as its president, working with Cincinnati Public Schools to help English language learners become successful in their academic lives while fostering their cultural identities.
When Portman was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives serving Ohio’s Second District, he was a tutor for her ELL Foundation students at one of the Cincinnati Public Schools. He had to stop when he was appointed United States Trade Representative, and his wife Jane Portman has more recently tutored Sister Margarita, SC’s students in Cincinnati Public Schools, which partners with the ELL Foundation.
DEWINE CERTIFIES STRENGTHEN TERM LIMITS AMENDMENT – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine submitted to the Secretary of State’s office his certification of the citizen-initiated Strengthen Term Limits Amendment. In a letter to Secretary of State Jon Husted, DeWine called the summary for the proposed amendment a “fair and truthful statement of the proposed law.”
Eight is Enough Ohio turned in 1,742 signatures on August 31 to obtain certification for the proposal, which will limit State House and Senate members to no more than eight lifetime years in one chamber, and no more than 12 lifetime years in the legislature.
Eight is Enough Chairman Ray Warrick hailed DeWine’s decision as “a victory for term limits supporters throughout Ohio,” who will now wait for their amendment to receive a final stamp of approval from the state Ballot Board. According to Warrick, the actions of Ohio’s Constitutional Modernization Commission will be what drive his group to move forward.
