SSA service also needs staff and funding.
Congress funds SSA operations through the annual budget process. SSA manages its service. We ask both for shorter waits, clear answers and honest measures of progress.
Use the customer service script02 / How we get there
How change happens.
People speak up. Officials make decisions. We keep asking for action—and check what changes.
One useful action. Keep at it.
Dr. Ed explains the news and suggests actions during the LIVE. A call or question may stay useful for days or weeks. We follow up, share what we hear and keep going.
The path through Congress
From an idea to a law.
A simplified route. Bills can stall, change, or take a different procedural path.
- A bill is introducedAsk your member to support it.
- Committees review itAsk for a hearing and action.
- House + Senate voteAsk how your members will vote.
- The president actsKeep watching funding and results.
The House and Senate must pass the same text. The president can sign or veto it; Congress can override a veto with enough votes.
What happens at each stage?
Put a proposal on the table.
A member of Congress introduces a bill. Other members can join as cosponsors.
Our part: Ask our representatives where they stand and what they will support.
Get it through the committee.
Committees examine proposals and may hold hearings, revise the text and vote on whether to send it forward. A hearing alone does not pass a bill.
Our part: Ask for attention to the issue and a clear response from the responsible office.
Build support in both chambers.
The House and Senate must agree on the same text. Debate rules, amendments and leadership decisions can affect whether a vote happens.
Our part: Follow the actual bill, ask for a position, and keep track of votes.
Make the change real.
A bill approved by both chambers goes to the president. After a law is enacted, funding and agency implementation still matter.
Our part: Keep watching deadlines, access and results after the headlines fade.
Learn more: The House explains the legislative process
Put a bill number behind your request.
See two proposals we’re watching, their committee stage, and a short question to ask an office.
Medicaid needs action in Washington and your state.
Federal and state governments share the cost. Congress sets federal law; state leaders make state funding and policy decisions within those rules.
Use the Medicaid scriptOpen the details when you need them
Who decides? What gets in the way?
Which committees handle our goals?
Jurisdiction depends on the proposal. These are important starting points—not a claim that every bill goes through every committee.
- House Ways and Means
Social Security and major parts of Medicare. Its subcommittees examine different parts of those programs.
Responsibilities and members - House Energy and Commerce
Medicaid, parts of Medicare and other health policy, including work through its Health Subcommittee.
Health jurisdiction and members - Senate Finance
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and their financing.
Committee jurisdiction · Current members
A member of a committee is also someone’s elected representative. Use official contact channels and accurately identify yourself.
Why do we hear about 60 votes in the Senate?
Passing a bill and ending debate are different votes. Final passage usually needs a simple majority. For most legislation, ending a filibuster requires three-fifths of senators duly chosen and sworn—normally 60 in a full Senate.
Some procedures have different rules. We check the specific measure before saying how many votes it needs.
Why do state decisions matter for Medicaid?
States administer Medicaid within federal requirements, with funding shared by the federal government and states. That means both Washington and state decisions matter.
For a particular issue, we identify the federal or state office responsible before asking people to act. A governor cannot independently rewrite federal law.
Does every improvement need a new law?
No. Better SSA customer service can also involve agency management, staffing, funding and oversight. We ask what needs to change, who can change it, and how the result will be measured.
We distinguish an agency’s reported results from the experiences participants describe. Neither a single good experience nor a single bad one proves a nationwide trend.
Reasons to keep going
Recognize the work.
Check the results.
The groundwork
People calling, writing, showing up at town halls and bringing others into the effort. During the LIVE, Dr. Ed can recognize people who report taking action and share what they heard back.
The policy progress
A hearing, a committee vote, a change in a bill, an enacted law or a documented improvement in service. We check each development against original sources.
See the approved weekly scorecardReported participation is not proof that policy changed. Progress is not guaranteed. The work is still worth doing.
Process sources checked November 6, 2026. Membership, schedules and bill status can change. Follow the official links for the current details.
KEEP GOINGHow you can helpChoose one useful action and find the words to use.