AARP Volunteers Make Their Case to Washington Lawmakers

From Hawaii to Maine, Alaska to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Texas to Oregon, leaders  and  volunteers from all 53 of AARP’s state and territorial offices converged on Congress Wednesday, pressing lawmakers to protect policies and programs vital to the health and finances of Americans age 50 and older.

More than 300 AARP advocates fanned out to 400 meetings with Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.  They had three main messages for lawmakers and their staffs: Make the current 7.5 percent medical expense tax deduction threshold permanent; protect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that provides food to millions of older Americans, and show support for family caregivers by joining the caucus created to help America’s 40 million family caregivers.

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AARP advocates not only represented the organization’s 38 million members, they spoke for citizens whose high voting turnout reflects the need for lawmakers to pay attention to them. In 2016, more than 90 percent of registered voters over 50 went to the polls and in 2014- the last midterm election, 75 percent of 50 plus registered voters cast ballots. Those turnout numbers dwarf all other age groups.

One of the most urgent issues on the AARP advocates’ agenda was the tax deduction for medical expenses.  Unless the law is changed, as of January 2019 the deduction will only be available to taxpayers whose health care expenses exceed 10 percent of their income, rather than 7.5 percent.   Adults 50 and over make up nearly three-quarters of the nearly nine million Americans who use the medical expense deduction to offset high health care costs. 

Erin O’Quinn, deputy chief of staff for Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., told AARP California State Director Mark Beach that the medical expense issue is “incredibly important for people who are middle class and for those in  longterm  care.”  O’Quinn, whose boss is a physician, assured the AARP visitors that Bera is steadfastly behind the 7.5 percent threshold.

The AARP contingent also urged lawmakers to protect SNAP from changes that would make it harder for those in need to qualify for food aid.  They said SNAP is a lifeline for the approximately 10 million Americans 50 and older who struggle with food insecurity. 

The farm bill sent to the House floor earlier this month by the Agriculture Committee imposes a stricter work requirement for SNAP on adults age 50 to 59. AARP advocates pressed members of the House and Senate to reject the expansion of work requirements for SNAP, noting the program’s positive impact on the  health care  of its recipients and the fact that it takes longer for older workers to find permanent employment.