National

  • No doping charges in Armstrong case
    Federal prosecutors dropped their investigation of Lance Armstrong on Friday, ending a nearly two-year effort aimed at determining whether the seven-time Tour de France winner and his teammates participated in a doping program.
  • Santorum at odds with docs
    Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum on Friday backed prominent conservative James Dobson’s claim that President Obama’s administration would block medical treatment for stroke patients over age 70.
  • GOP volatility reflects public’s
    The American people, a small slice of them, have spoken, and they are none too pleased.
Advertisement

Obama seeks $250 for seniors to make up for Social Security freeze

WASHINGTON – President Obama is calling on Congress to approve $250 payments to more than 50 million seniors to make up for no increase in Social Security next year.

The White House put the cost at $13 billion.

The Social Security Administration is scheduled to announce Thursday that there will be no cost of living increase next year. By law, increases are pegged to inflation, which has been negative this year.

It would mark the first year without an increase in Social Security payments since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975.

The $250 payments would also go to those receiving veterans’ benefits, disability benefits, railroad retirees and public employee retirees who don’t receive Social Security.