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Congress said warming to Guinta bill aimed at COLA freeze

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta of New Hampshire said on Friday he hopes a bill giving seniors a onetime bump in Social Security benefits to offset the lack of a COLA increase for 2016 will be passed during Congress' lame-duck session following the November elections.

"I'm optimistic it will sail through the House and Senate," Guinta said in an exclusive telephone interview with The Lebanon Voice.

House Bill 4140, also known as the Seniors Act of 2015, would pay seniors and veterans a onetime payment of 12 percent of their November 2015 benefit amount to offset Social Security's decision to include no cost-of-living adjustment for the benefit year of 2016.

Guinta, R-1st, said when he first learned from the Social Security administration last December that there would be no COLA for '16 because the cost of living hadn't increased, "My sense was that was not true.

It was only the third time in 40 years that no COLA had been applied.

"As a result I looked into it," Guinta said, explaining, "Sure, gas prices declined, but taxes went up, prescription and health care went up and food went up. My feeling was it (having no COLA applied) was neither correct nor justified."

Guinta said he has also found offsetting funds so the bill would have no adverse effect on the budget.

House Bill 4140 is currently in several committees, but Guinta said Congressional leadership "likes the bill."

"I'm optimistic that it will go," he added. "It's the right thing to do, we found the money and the justification is there."

For a Social Security or veterans' benefit recipient receiving $1,200 a month, the onetime check would amount to $144.

To make your view known to other area members of Congress:

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte: 14 Manchester Square, Ste 140, Portsmouth, NH 03801 Phone: 603-436-7161

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, 340 Central Avenue Suite 205, Dover, NH

03820 Ph: (603) 750-3004

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree: 2 Portland Fish Pier, Suite 304, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 774-5019

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