In August 2010, the Medicare Task Force requested individual meetings with the legislators from our state who have taken the lead on Part D reform. Several leaders of the Medicare Task Force met with Rep. Schakowsky in Chicago and Sen. Durbin in Champaign to discuss Part D reform, health reform, and Social Security. At the meeting, the Task Force thanked Rep. Schakowsky and Senator Durbin for their commitment to fixing Part D and encouraged them to keep up the good work. The Task Force encouraged them to re-introduce the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act in 2011 and promised support in any way necessary. The Task Force also discussed the legislators’ roles on President Obama’s Deficit Reduction Commission. The Medicare Task Force is very concerned that the commission is considering cuts to Social Security as a way to decrease the national deficit, despite the fact that Social Security is budget neutral and has not added to national deficit in any way. The Task Force was glad to hear that both Rep. Schakowsky and Senator Durbin have voiced their opposition to raising the Social Security retirement age or privatizing Social Security. The Task Force received excellent insight into the work that is going on in Washington D.C. and will use that information to help plan organizing efforts over the coming months.