To the editor:

I attended the Dec. 13 town hall meeting at the New UIm Library with Senator Dahms and Representative Torkelson. I was curious to hear the issues people have concerns about. I missed a chance to bring up an issue of interest concerning people with disabilities, but it’s not a state issue. It’s an issue that is already known by the U.S. Senate and the House. My insomnia triggered my brain’s mini computer to think about the days events and I recalled Congressman Torkelson saying he gets Social Security so it got me thinking. Would SSA take social security away from anyone who goes over the earning limit? It definitely happens to people with disabilities

There are a lot of people with disabilities who have had their SSI taken away because they worked too much. They have to pay back thousands of dollars because they didn’t know what their earnings and assets limits were. They want to work, but are punished financially if they work too much . They need SSI to fall back on because sometimes their disabilities cause them to lose their jobs.

There is a bipartisan bill that has, I believe, been sent to the Ways and Means Committee. This bill is the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-0H) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have a bill S. 2767 to raise the earnings limit for people on SSI. Representatives Brian Higgins (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-IL) have a bill to raise the asset limits for people with disabilities. Single people can only have $2,000 in assets, which is no safety net for emergencies. This bill would raise asset limit to maybe $100,000, which is consistent to ABLE accounts. These earnings and assets limits haven’t been updated for about 40 years to account for inflation. These similar bills would help the economy and allow people to save for times of need. Our kids didn’t choose to be disabled and rely on only SSI to survive. They want to work and be able to socialize like everyone else.

I have already talked with Congressman Finstad’s office in New UIm about this issue, which he was already aware of, according to his staff. I am also writing to Senator Klobuchar and Senator Smith to ask them to vote for S. 2767 to raise the earnings limits for people with disabilities. The House bill is H.R. 5408. These bills affect Republicans kids and Democrats kids and Independents kids and everyone else’s kids. Our kids shouldn’t live in fear of being punished for wanting to work to pay their bills and have a life.

If you have someone who has been affected by this issue or you just care, please write to your congress people to vote to pass these bills. Thank you.

C.E. Pettis

New Ulm