| Social Security disability bill passed by U.S. House |
|
Posted: Friday, February 12, 2010 9:34 am
|
Washington – The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill introduced by Con. John Tanner to improve access to quality, professional representation for Social Security disability applicants.
The bill passed the House Thursday by a vote of 412-6.
Tanner, Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, sponsored the bipartisan bill along with U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX), the subcommittee’s ranking member; U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Chairman of the Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee; and U.S. Rep. John Linder (R-GA), that subcommittee’s ranking member.
“One of the top priorities of this Subcommittee has been helping the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have been waiting years for a hearing on their disability case due to large claims backlogs,” Chairman Tanner said.
“It is important that people have the help they need to navigate the complicated disability appeals process.”
H.R. 4532, the “Social Security Disability Applicants’ Access to Professional Representation Act of 2010,” makes permanent a temporary provision to expand access to professional representation that is due to expire on March 1, 2010.
“Filing for disability benefits isn’t easy, but this bipartisan legislation will continue to ensure that applicants get the support they need in order to get their Social Security benefits,” said Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Social Security.
“This is an important first step, but more than ever we need to simplify the complicated bureaucratic process so that our constituents don’t have to hire representatives in the first place.”
Tanner represents the 8th Congressional District in West and Middle Tennessee.
Co-founder of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, Tanner serves on the Ways and Means Committee, where he chairs the Social Security Subcommittee, and on the Foreign Affairs Committee.A veteran of the U.S. Navy and the Tennessee Army National Guard, Tanner chairs the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and is serving as NATO PA President.
|
|
Printer-friendly format
|
|
