It has often been said that the signs of a civilized society are its ability and willingness to take care of the young, the old and the sick.

It is with that concept in mind that U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is pushing Congress not to forget about the needs of our senior citizens. Because the Social Security Administration announced that there would not be a cost of living adjustment for individuals receiving benefits this year, Brown and others are pushing for a one-time $250 stipend that would hopefully help fill the gap for many of the seniors who struggle to make ends meet.

Even though the increase may not sound like much, for many of the men and women on Social Security it would be a big help.

Republicans in Congress are fighting this measure saying that we simply don’t have the money for the measure that would cost about $17 billion. Those same representatives are pushing for $700 billion in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

This simply doesn’t make sense and we hope that leaders from both sides of the aisle can come together on this and find a middle ground that doesn’t ignore our seniors.

More than 2 million Ohioans are currently on Social Security. That is 2 million of our friends, neighbors and co-workers who need a little relief.

We believe America is the greatest nation in the world. With that title comes the responsibility to take care of those in need.