AARP Statement on the 10/21 Debate

Tonight the Republican candidates set a good example of the level of debate necessary for voters to understand exactly where candidates stand on health care and financial security. If Presidential candidates, both Republicans and Democrats, can sustain this level of open debate, voters will be armed with the information they need to make an informed choice on Election Day.

Pocketbook issues are real in people’s everyday lives. Just this week, Social Security recipients felt firsthand the sting of rising healthcare costs with a cost of living adjustment that fails to keep up with increases in Medicare premiums.

Divided We Fail and AARP are monitoring the number of health and financial security questions asked during the Presidential debates. For more information about Divided We Fail and the debate, log onto the Divided We Fail debate tracker at www.dividedwefail.org.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, http://www.AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.