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pac.dog pac.dog / Lobbying

1st Quarter - Report · 2026

Filing UUID
e8819cd3-2f61-4029-a4f7-c592a61713af
Type
Q1 — 1st Quarter - Report
Period
first_quarter
Year
2026
Posted
2026-04-20 00:59:02
Income (reported)
$60,000
Expenses (reported)
—
Filing document
Open on lda.senate.gov
Registrant (lobbying firm)

MARIA FREESE

Consulting

Contact
MARIA FREESE
Phone
+1 202-365-8681
Address
zip:22015, city:Burke, state:VA, street:9928 Stone Wood Court
Client

NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO PRESERVE SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

Non-profit membership organization

State
DC
Country
US
Government-entity client
false
Effective date
2020-10-19
Issues lobbied + lobbyists (4)

RET — Retirement

Older Americans Act Reauthorization. The Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act (S. 2120): Proposals to reauthorize the Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965 and to increase the authorization of appropriations for OAA programs, which is the major federal discretionary funding source for home and community-based services for older adults and their caregivers. Programs supported through the OAA include home-delivered and congregate nutrition services, in-home supportive services, transportation, caregiver support, community service employment, health and wellness programs, the long-term care ombudsman program, services to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults, and other supportive services. Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). The Fair COLA for Seniors Act (No bill) and the Social Security Cost of Living Increase Act (No bill): Proposals to adopt the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) for the purpose of determining COLAs for Social Security beneficiaries; the Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act (S. 3059): Proposal to calculate COLAs using the current Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) or the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), whichever is greater. Social Security Expansion. The Social Security 2100 Act (No bill): Proposals to improve benefits and to strengthen Social Security's financing by altering the payroll tax cap, among other changes. The Social Security Expansion Act (S. 770 and H.R. 1700): Proposals to enhance Social Security benefits and ensure the long-term solvency of the Social Security program. The Strengthening Social Security Act (No bill): Proposals to extend the solvency of the Social Security Trust Funds and improve benefits. The Safeguarding American Families & Expanding Social Security Act (S. 3462): Proposals to update and modernize Social Security benefits and to extend solvency of the Social Security Trust Funds. The Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act (S. 2614 and H.R. 4968): Proposals to adopt the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) for the purpose of determining COLAs for Social Security beneficiaries and to ensure the long-term solvency of the Social Security program by altering the payroll tax cap. The Protecting Our Widows and Widowers in Retirement Act (No bill): Proposals to improve benefits for widows and widowers in two-income households. The Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment Act (SWIFT Act) (S. 3255): Proposal to increase survivors benefits for disabled widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses; Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act (H.R. 3517): Proposal would improve Social Security benefits by increasing the Special Minimum Benefit, boosting benefits for seniors who have on the Social Security rolls for a long period of time, restore student benefits to age 26 and extend the life of the Trust Funds by eliminating the cap on Social Security benefits and phasing-in an increase in the payroll tax rate. The Social Security Survivor Benefits Equity Act (H.R. 6424 and S. 3357): Proposal to increase the lump-sum benefit amount payable upon the death of a beneficiary to take into account inflation. Social Security Funding. The Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act (H.R. 3271 and S. 1690): Proposals to close the loophole for wealthy individuals who bypass paying the net investment income tax (NIIT) and directing the revenue to the Social Security Trust Funds and to the Hospital Insurance Fund, which pays for Medicare Part A that covers inpatient care in hospitals. Cutting Social Security by Raising the Retirement Age. Affirming the Presidents Promise Not to Raise the Social Security and Medicare Retirement Age (H. Res. 657): House Resolution opposing raising Social Security or Medicare eligibility age. Caregiver Social Security Credits. The Social Security Caregiver Credits Act (No bill): Proposal to provide Social Security wage credits for individuals who reduce their participation in the workforce or leave the workforce to provide care to specified family members and relatives. Social Security Notch. (No bill): Proposals to ensure that Social Security benefits for individuals born in 1960 and 1961 are not reduced as a result of the coronavirus-related drop in the average wage index. Protecting Seniors from Garnishment. (No bill): Proposal to protect Social Security beneficiaries from having their Social Security benefits garnished to recover unpaid student loans. Social Security Disability Insurance Claim Adjudication. (No bill): Proposal to nullify the rule finalized by the Social Security Administration on November 16, 2020, that outlines when its administrative appeals judges may hold hearings and issue decisions on individual cases. Currently, these judges serve an appellate function where they review, at the request of Social Security claimants, the decisions of the administrative law judges who issue decisions in individual cases. Social Security Overpayments. (H.R. 2999, H.R. 2142 and S. 1023): Proposals to protect retirees, survivors and people with disabilities from being forced to repay extra Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits they received through no fault of their own. Strengthening Beneficiaries Rights. (No bill): Various proposals relating to the protection and rights available to Social Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries. Social Security Benefit Statements. The Know Your Social Security Act (No bill): Proposal to implement section 1143 of the Social Security Act by clarifying the Social Security Administration is required to mail annual benefit statements to all workers over age 25. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program. The Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act (S. 4001 and H.R. 7828): Proposals to strengthen and restore the SSI program. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program. The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act (H.R. 2540 and S. 1234): Proposal to amend title XVI of the Social Security Act to update the resource limit for Supplemental Security Income eligibility. The Fairness in Social Security Act (No bill): Proposal to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude the portion of a lump-sum Social Security benefit payment that relates to periods prior to the taxable year from the determination of household income as it relates to SSI eligibility. Retirement Plan Distribution: IRS Notice relating to Use of an Electronic Medium to Make Participant Elections and Spousal Consents (RIN 1545-Bq50). House Committee on Aging. (H. Res. 1013): A Resolution amending the Rules of the House to reestablish a Permanent Select Committee on Aging. Retirement Plan Fiduciary Rule: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Office of Regulations and Interpretations - RIN 1210-AC02; Application No. D-12057; Application No. D-12060. The Department of Labor proposed regulation to modernize the fiduciary rule to strengthen protections for retirement investors who seek professional investment advice. (No bill): Congressional reversal of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Retirement Security Rule: Definition of an Investment Advice Fiduciary". Pensions: The ERISA Litigation Reform Act (H.R. 6084). A bill that would undermine ERISAs ability to protect retirement plan participants hard-earned retirement income under the erroneous notion that the recent unanimous Supreme Court decision in Cunningham v. Cornell University will lead to a tide of ERISA class action litigation. Social Security Administration. Keep Billionaires Out of Our Social Security Act (S. 2763), Hands Off Our Social Security Act (H.R. 4734), Repairing Social Security after DOGE (H.R. 6237). Proposals to reverse cuts the Trump Administration has made to the Social Security Administration (SSA), prevents Social Security field offices from shutting down, makes it easier for seniors and people with disabilities to apply for the benefits they have earned over the phone, provides the resources the SSA needs to approve earned benefits quickly, protects benefits from unauthorized tampering, delays or changes, blocks privatization of SSA, enforces privacy protections for beneficiary data, and requires annual Government Accountability Office audits on staffing, operations and compliance. Social Security Administration. Letter to Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano opposing enhanced identity verification procedures for beneficiary transactions with SSA that will make it difficult, if not impossible, for many older Americans and members of the disability community to access their earned benefits. Social Security Administration. Resolution of Inquiry by Representative John Larson (H. Res. 195): Requesting information be provided to Congress regarding the Department of Government Efficiencys (DOGE) access to the Social Security Administrations computer data, which compromises beneficiary privacy by allowing access to Americans personal information such as Social Security numbers, banking information, earnings history and medical information. Social Security Administration. Keep Our Field Offices Open Act (H.R. 1876): Proposals to suspend Social Security field office closures until January 21, 2029, after which date the Commissioner of Social Security would be required to submit a detailed report to Congress, laying out and justifying a process for closing, consolidating, or reducing access to field offices; bill also requires the Commissioner to maintain the total number of field offices and hearing offices that were in operation on January 20, 2025, after the moratorium ends and requires that, in considering future office closures, the Commissioner must consider potential transportation and communication barriers for individuals served by the office, provide significant advance notice to the public and members of Congress, and ensure opportunities for public input and appeals. Social Security Administration. Protecting Americans Social Security Data Act (H.R. 1877): Proposals to protect Americans from having their sensitive personal information politicized or bought and sold to the highest bidder by preventing Elon Musk, his associates, and political appointees from accessing sensitive data systems at SSA, codifying SSA data privacy requirements into law and strengthening oversight and civil penalties for any privacy and disclosure violations of Social Security beneficiaries personal information. Social Security Administration. The Improving Social Securitys Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act (S. 1666): Proposal to improve Social Security's service to victims of identity theft by requiring the Social Security Administration to provide a single point of contact for any individual whose Social Security account number has been misused. Social Security Administration. Comments on Omitting Food from In-Kind Support and Maintenance Calculations, Docket No. SSA-2021-0014; Comments on Expanding the Rental Subsidy, Docket No. SSA-2023-0010; Comments on Intermediate Improvement to the Disability Adjudication Process Including How We Consider Past Work, Docket No. SSA-2023-0024; Comments on Rulemaking Expanding the Definition of a Public Assistance Household, Docket No. SSA-2023-0015; Comments on strengthening rule regarding the Use of Electronic Payroll Data to Improve Program Administration, Docket No. SSA-2016-0039. Social Security Administration. Comments submitted regarding Social Security Form SSA-827 proposal (Medical Record Collection Process) and the Disability Applicant Evidence Simplification Act (DAESA) draft. Social Security Administration. The creation of an online application for all SSI applicants, streamlining data collection to more effectively obtain treating source evidence, eliminating the reconsideration level of review, updating outdated occupational information, adding a robust online scheduling tool and ensuring comprehensive customer service for all individuals. Womens Retirement Security. The Womens Retirement Protection Act (S. 988 and H.R. 2023): Proposal to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to provide for greater spousal protection under defined contribution plans. Food Security for Seniors. Farm bill reauthorization (American Relief Act, P.L. 118-158, Division D): Provisions to cut future Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or other harmful policies that would worsen the problem of hunger for Americas older adults and other food insecure individuals.

Lobbyists:
  • MARIA FREESE — covered position: Staff, U.S. House of Representatives; Staff, U.S. Senate Finance Committee

Government entities lobbied: Administration on Aging; Executive Office of the President (EOP); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Labor, Dept of (DOL); SENATE; Social Security Administration (SSA); Treasury, Dept of

BUD — Budget/Appropriations

Budget: Concurrent Budget Resolution (S. Con. Res. 41): A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034: The Six Penny Plan which would significantly harm the economy and force severe cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other federal programs vital to Americas seniors. Concurrent Budget Resolution (H. Con. Res. 14): provision in Section 406 including bipartisan reform of Medicare which would likely result in benefit cuts, provisions in Section 409 making employment a requirement for Medicaid eligibility, provisions in Section 414 establishing a fiscal commission intended to cut the earned benefits of American workers and retirees. Graham Substitute amendment to Concurrent Budget Resolution (H. Con. Res. 14) as considered in both the House and Senate: the use of current policy baseline to hide the cost from the American people of making permanent the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA); the magnitude and distribution of the tax cuts envisioned in the resolution; spending cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, operating costs for the Social Security Administration (SSA), and other programs important to seniors such as homelessness prevention, home-delivered and community meals, transportation access, falls prevention, chronic disease management, resources on Alzheimers disease and related dementia, support to long-term care ombudsman and adult protective services addressing maltreatment, and critical funding in the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF) and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); opposing the resulting massive amounts of debt that threaten the future viability of earned benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare; Senate Amendment 1341 to H. Con. Res. 14 by Senator Mazie Hirono raising a point of order against any bill, joint resolution, motion, amendment, amendment between the Houses, or conference report that would result in the disruption of Social Security benefits or interrupting services within the Social Security program, including any such disruption or interruption caused by infrastructure upgrades to the information technology infrastructure of SSA. Budget: Budget reconciliation bill (H.R. 1): A bill providing for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14: Proposals that will result in massive cuts to programs critical to older Americans and their families as it enacts unprecedented cuts to fundamental programs that provide health care and essential services to lower- and moderate-income Americans, all to partially offset the cost of massive tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy and large, profitable corporations. H.R. 1 will add at least $3.4 trillion to the federal debt in the next decade, which will starve the U.S. of resources with the ultimate effect of providing a justification for later legislation that would cut the earned benefits Americans have paid for throughout their working lives - Social Security and Medicare. Specifically, the bill includes deep cuts to Medicaid, totaling around $1 trillion and representing four times the size of previous Medicaid cuts; around $180 billion in cuts to the SNAP, the largest cut in the programs history, and unless they are blocked by future legislation, will trigger PAYGO requirements in federal law which will result in a 4 percent sequestration of Medicare spending starting in 2026. Balanced Budget: Balanced Budget Amendment (H.J. Res. 139). A resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution which would place a limitation on federal spending that would require a two-thirds supermajority to overcome except in the case of a declaration of war. The amendment would require a two-thirds supermajority to raise taxes but only a simple majority to cut taxes. If enacted, it would alter Congressional voting procedures to facilitate cutting taxes above all other priorities except spending on declared wars, thus increasing the likelihood that the fiscal policies adopted in coming decades will favor the well-off at the expense of middle- and low-income Americans. The resolution would also severely limit Social Security and Medicare Part A from drawing down Trust Fund reserves to pay retirement, disability and survivor benefits and hospitalization costs. Republican Study Committee (RSC): A Framework for the Next Reconciliation bill. Proposals to eliminate the enhanced tax credits available to low-income workers through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and redirect the money into so-called Health Freedom Accounts, codify the TrumpRX program, a website which re-directs consumers to existing manufacturers discounts on brand-name prescription drugs; expand and codify Association Health Plans; enact additional cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, housing assistance and other government programs. Republican Study Committee (RSC) FY 2027 Budget: supports additional tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy and large, profitable corporations such as repealing the estate tax; endorses additional cuts to Medicaid and SNAP; expands Health Savings Accounts; reforms Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to lower expenditures; criticizes Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) as providing excessive benefits to seniors struggling to keep up with rising costs of living; endorses the use of the SSA database for purposes other than ensuring Americans receive their correct earned benefits; supports the replacement of the non-political civil service employees with political supporters of the Administration on a broad basis; eliminates funding for the Department of Labors (DOL) Senior Community Service Employment Program; reduces funding for the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Community Services Block Grants; and reduces funding for Rental Housing Assistance Programs, among other proposals that serve seniors and the disability community. Appropriations: Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act FY 2026 (S. 2587): Requesting funding for the Social Security Administration of at least 1.2 percent of benefits paid to restore customer service levels Americans have paid-for and earned; and request for adequate funding for Older Americans Act programs and other discretionary programs key to seniors, including programs proposed for massive funding reductions in the Presidents budget request, such as Elder Falls Prevention programs and the Alzheimers Disease Program Initiative, and programs targeted for elimination in the Presidents budget such as the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP), the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and the AmeriCorps Seniors programs (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, Senior Companions Program and Foster Grandparent Program).

Lobbyists:
  • MARIA FREESE — covered position: Staff, U.S. House of Representatives; Staff, U.S. Senate Finance Committee

Government entities lobbied: Executive Office of the President (EOP); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); SENATE; Social Security Administration (SSA); Treasury, Dept of

CIV — Civil Rights/Civil Liberties

Age Discrimination. The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA) (H.R. 3522 and S. 1820): Proposal to restore the standard of proof in age discrimination cases to the pre-2009 level and treat age discrimination as unjust as other forms of employment discrimination; The Protecting Older Job Applicants (POJA) Act (No bill): Proposal to prohibit employers from limiting, segregating or classifying job applicants based on an applicants age; Protecting Older Americans Act of 2025 (H.R. 5115 and S. 2703): Proposals to eliminate the current practice of employers utilizing forced arbitration to resolve age discrimination complaints, which would shift some of the leverage employers currently exert in these claims back to the workers themselves. The Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 1115 and H.R. 17): Proposal to prevent wage discrimination for occurring and helping women and their families secure the paychecks they have earned.

Lobbyists:
  • MARIA FREESE — covered position: Staff, U.S. House of Representatives; Staff, U.S. Senate Finance Committee

Government entities lobbied: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; SENATE

GOV — Government Issues

Social Security and Medicare Trust Fund Committees. The Fiscal Commission Act (H.R. 3289 and S. 4012), the Fiscal Sustainability Act (No bill), the Sustainable Budget Act of 2025 (H.R. 222): Proposals to establish fiscal commissions to make recommendations that would likely include cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits and would be fast-tracked through Congress outside of the regular legislative process. Voting Rights. (No bill): Proposals to require states to give every voter the option to vote by mail; and to require prepaid postage for all election materials and state-provided drop boxes for federal elections. Voting Rights. Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) (H.R. 22), (SAVE America Act)(S. 1383, H.R. 7296): Proposals which significantly limits the ability of older Americans to vote in federal elections by severely restricting the types of documents acceptable to prove identity, requiring the presentation of this documentation in person, and needlessly requiring voters to re-prove their identities every time they renew their registrations. Federal District Court Injunctions. No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA) (H.R. 1526): Proposals to limit federal district courts ability to issue nationwide injunctions against unlawful actions, thus destabilizing the checks and balances built into our constitutional system and putting the freedom of every American at risk. Office of Personnel Management: Comments on Proposed Rule, Improving Performance, Accountability and Responsiveness in the Civil Service, Docket ID: OPM-2025-0004, RIN: 3206-AO80: Comments on proposed rule that would severely undermine the career civil service that Congress has sought to protect and protect for more than 140 years, largely due to our concerns about the impact on seniors of politicizing the workforce at the Social Security Administration (SSA),the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other federal agencies which serve older Americans. Filing Tax Returns: Direct File Act of 2026 (S. 3948, H.R. 7806). A bill to reverse the Trump Administrations decision to end the Direct File program and codify it into law, thus allowing taxpayers to file their taxes online, for fee, and directly with the IRS, saving families time and money by cutting out the middleman.

Lobbyists:
  • MARIA FREESE — covered position: Staff, U.S. House of Representatives; Staff, U.S. Senate Finance Committee

Government entities lobbied: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Office of Personnel Management (OPM); SENATE; Social Security Administration (SSA)

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