"I am honored that the council has recognized my strong support for health care, social security, and tax policies that do not squander the benefits that seniors have spent a lifetime earning," said Meehan.  "They are an influential and responsible voice in the debate over the critical needs of older Americans."

The NCSC recently released its annual "National Council of Senior Citizens Congressional Voting Record," and the Lowell Democrat scored in the 100th percentile.  Ten House of Representatives' votes from the first session (1999) of the 106th Congress were evaluated based on whether or not the member cast a "pro-senior" vote.  Sample votes included:  support for a bill to increase federal resources for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's senior housing program (H.R. 202);  support for a bill to increase funding for the Legal Services Corporation for their work to protect seniors' Medicare and Social Security benefits (H.R. 2670); and opposition to a variety of tax-related bills that would have decreased funds for senior support services.

"After seven years of fiscal responsibility and restraint, we now have record budget surpluses," added Meehan.  "Some may be tempted to squander that surplus, but we must reject that course and use the surplus to shore up critical programs like Medicare and Social Security.  We should also use the surplus to pay down the national debt, one of the best gifts any grandparent can leave to future generations.  The hard-earned benefits available for today's seniors must be there for tomorrow's seniors as well."

The NCSC, created in 1961 to spearhead seniors' support for the Medicare program, continues to work as one of the leading national voices for seniors and their families.  The council is also one of the largest senior citizen organizations, with more than 500,000 members in 2,000 affiliated clubs and councils nationwide.