John Garamendi was raised on his family’s ranch in Mokelumne Hill, California. He received his B.A. in business from UC Berkeley where he was a Wheeler Scholar, second team All America offensive guard, two-time all Pacific Coast Conference team, and the 1964 West Coast heavy weight wrestling champion. He also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. He and his wife Patti served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia before returning to the U.S and settling down in Walnut Grove, where they raised six children. They now have 14 grandchildren and continue to raise Angus cattle on their ranch and grow pears in their Delta orchard in Walnut Grove.
Every American who worked hard and played by the rules deserves to retire with dignity. All of us deserve the peace of mind that comes when basic necessities are covered through Medicare and Social Security. I have stood against Congressional Republican efforts to dismantle Medicare and privatize Social Security, because these institutions have done a remarkable job of ending desperate poverty among our seniors.
In 1967, almost a third of American seniors lived in poverty. Today, thanks to Medicare and Social Security, less than ten percent of American seniors live in poverty. We have more work to do, particularly in creating more job opportunities for seniors who want to work, improving nursing room care, and expanding vital services like dental and vision coverage to all seniors, but to my last breath, I will fight back against any effort to roll back support for seniors.
I've introduced the "Fair COLA for Seniors Act" to create a new cost of living adjustment (COLA) calculation for Social Security that actually reflects how retirees spend their money – especially in health care. This would result in a better, fairer COLA for seniors and disabled Americans.
For more information concerning my work and views on the issue of Seniors, please contact my Washington, DC office.
I look forward to your feedback. Thank you.
--Congressman John Garamendi