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AARP Urges Congress to Support House and Senate Budgets

Group reminds lawmakers: 39 million AARP members have much at stake

WASHINGTON — As lawmakers continue work on the FY2009 budget, AARP issued a statement urging Members of Congress to support the House and Senate budget resolutions and to oppose harmful amendments that would negatively impact older Americans.  The Association has been actively lobbying both chambers to ensure Congress passes a budget resolution that addresses the priorities of older Americans.  The statement, from AARP Senior Vice President David Sloane, follows:

“The budget resolutions in both chambers address the needs of older Americans, and we encourage all members to support them.  These bills also reject the deep Medicare and Medicaid cuts proposed by the Administration, while taking steps toward improvements in both programs that will begin to reduce America’s skyrocketing health care bill.

“Both the House and Senate budget bills also reject the Administration’s proposals for drastic cuts to heating assistance and supportive housing for the elderly.  These programs provide vital funding to help low-income older Americans live in safe, affordable, warm homes.

“This week will lay the appropriations groundwork for the next fiscal year, and there is much at stake for our 39 million members.  We urge members in both chambers to pass the budget resolutions as reported out of their respective budget committees and without harmful amendments that would reduce access to health and financial security for older Americans.”

AARP urges passage of a final budget resolution that will:

* Prioritize sound health policies, such as addressing the Medicare asset tests;

* Protect the 44 million people in Medicare from unreasonable and unfair premium increases when addressing the potential cuts to Medicare physician reimbursement;

* Reauthorize and improve the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP);

* Promote comparative effectiveness research and health information technology;

* Extend the moratoria on harmful Medicaid regulations;

* Ensure adequate funding for the Social Security Administration to address the growing backlog of disability insurance benefit claims; and

* Reject the Administration’s proposed cuts to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and housing assistance for older Americans.

AARP also urges Congress to reject attempts to add harmful budget provisions that would:

* Encourage private accounts in Social Security—already rejected by the public—which would threaten the promise of a guaranteed, inflation-protected retirement benefit that cannot be outlived;

* Income-relate Medicare Prescription Drug Program premiums or further income-relate the Part B premium, which would add yet another “senior tax” and unfairly burden those who work past age 65; and

* Create a “hard trigger” within Medicare that will cause across-the-board spending cuts without solving the underlying problem of skyrocketing health care costs.

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