The Best Reason to Keep Voting

The fast-approaching presidential election will be, among other things, a referendum on our nation’s sacred obligation to ensure the health and safety of older Americans.

AARP has begun a yearlong nationwide voter engagement campaign that will give those 50-plus all the information they need about when, where and how to vote, as well as where the candidates stand on the kitchen-table issues that matter to all Americans.

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At the top of the list of issues that will be shaped by the November vote are two that AARP believes are of critical importance: (1) protecting Social Security and (2) making sure that family care­givers who sacrifice so much get much-deserved assistance.

Between now and November, AARP’s efforts to educate voters in all states and territories will focus attention on these issues and build support among candidates we believe will do the best job of protecting Social ­Security and helping caregivers.

Let me tell you why that is important.

First of all, Social Security is money you earned through a lifetime of hard work. For older Americans, it ensures they can afford everyday expenses such as groceries, gas and housing. For many, it is their main source of income. In our June 2023 report, 96 percent of Americans age 18 and older identified Social Security as an important government program, including 71 percent who say it is one of the most important programs. Moreover, nearly 3 in 4 Americans say Social Security is even more important now than it was before the economic shocks of COVID-19 and high inflation.

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

That irreplaceable anchor in the lives of many older Americans faces a growing challenge. If Congress doesn’t take action to protect and save the program in the next 10 years, your Social Security payments could be cut by 20 percent — an average of $4,000 a year. The congressional underfunding of the Social Security Administration has also resulted in record-long wait times for people applying for lifesaving disability benefits.

AARP and its members call on the presidential candidates to join us in demanding that Congress fully fund Social Security’s operating budget to ensure the agency has the resources to improve customer service. Americans have waited long enough for government action to protect this vital program.

AARP is also leading efforts to persuade Congress and state legislators to pass laws that help our nation’s 48 million family caregivers. The sacrifices they make to assist their loved ones is incalculable. But you can put a price on the hours of work they devote to caregiving — about $600 billion of unpaid labor. Those efforts add quality to lives and allow millions of older adults to stay in their homes longer.

Many family caregivers need our help. We call on elected officials to provide that help, whether through awarding tax credits, cutting red tape or improving coordination across government and private health care systems.

To every candidate on the ballot in November, AARP has this message: Our people, our economy and our values need your help. Support for Social Security and caregivers is a winning message for you, and the American people deserve and demand no less.