"Raising the retirement age would inflict further hardship among a group of workers who are likely to face health and economic problems in their 60s." –Doug Hart, President, Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans
"Of all the lies and confusion that still surround the Affordable Care Act, perhaps the greatest is that it is bad for seniors." - Dave Meinell, President, Missouri Alliance for Retired Americans
"My father died when I was three. Because of Social Security (survivors) benefits, my Mom, my younger sister and I survived." – Diane Fleming, DC Alliance Member
"We fear that Congress will balance the budget on the backs of the 98 percent, which is working Montanans and retired Montanans. We simply cannot afford these devastating cuts to vital services such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid," –John Forkan, President, Montana Alliance for Retired Americans
"Along with national parks and Social Security, Medicare is one of the best ideas we Americans have ever devised." -Tim Cunningham, New Mexico Alliance Member
"Seniors have earned and deserve their Social Security checks, and they shouldn't have to go to Congress every 10 years and beg for the program to be renewed." –James Parent, Alliance for Retired Americans Regional Board Member
"Today's retirees paid Medicare and Social Security taxes in every paycheck we ever earned. Now that we are retired, these programs help us to be able to stay healthy and pay our bills. They are the promise we make to people who worked hard all their lives, and we need to keep that promise for today’s workers." –Tony Fransetta, President, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans
"Today's seniors want to lower the budget deficit. We do not want a large debt to be the legacy we leave to future generations, but we should not punish people who have paid Social Security taxes all their lives." –Jim Moore, President, North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans
"Social Security should remain what it has been for 77 years – a solid, reliable way that generations of workers have been able to retire with dignity, economic security, and peace of mind." –Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
"The fight for Social Security and Medicare is part of a larger fight for justice and fairness"—Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
"The health insurance reform helps not just seniors, but also middle-class families and young Americans, who are just starting to see the benefits. Don’t let Republicans take all that away." –Don Rowen, President Emeritus, Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans
"Honoring the promise of Social Security and Medicare should not be a partisan issue. Honoring the contributions that we make throughout our working years so that we may feed and clothe ourselves, keep a roof over our heads and those of our family, there is no reason for that to be a hotly contested partisan issue." –Edward Coyle, Executive Director, Alliance for Retired Americans
"We need to make sure that people who need Social Security to make ends meet will have it, and not fall victim to ill-informed and unnecessary cuts to these vital programs."
–Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
Press Releases
GOP Leaders Threaten Social Security, Medicare
January 25, 2011
Responses to State of Union Address Show Party’s True Colors
For Immediate Release
January 25, 2011
The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans:
"Retirees who count on Social Security and Medicare to make ends meet should be concerned by the House Republicans who will respond to President Obama’s State of the Union Address, Reps. Paul Ryan, chair of the House Budget Committee, and Michele Bachman, founder of the House Tea Party Caucus.
“Ryan’s self-touted ‘Roadmap’ would be a dead end for retirees. It would turn a privatized Social Security over to Wall Street, cut benefits, and raise the retirement age. It would end Medicare as we know it, turning it into a voucher program that would have many seniors paying more money for less medical coverage.
“Bachmann has termed Social Security a ‘tremendous fraud’ and spoke of the need to ‘wean’ away current workers from Social Security. Even though the self-funded Social Security program has not added one dime to the deficit, too many people in Washington want to balance the budget on the backs of seniors.
“Last week, Reps. Ryan and Bachmann were leaders in voting to repeal the 2010 health reform law, changes in Medicare that help over 46 million seniors better afford to see a doctor and fill a prescription. Ryan and Bachmann led the effort to raise prescription drug costs, take away free preventive screenings for life-threatening diseases, and stop a long-overdue plan to help middle class families with the costs of long-term care.
“Social Security and Medicare are two great American success stories. It is revealing that tonight the Republican Party will be led by two individuals who want to turn back the clock on all we have done to help retirees enjoy dignity and good health in their later years.”
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Contact: David Blank (202) 637-5275 or dblank@retiredamericans.org
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