Press Releases

Amidst Talk of Tax Cuts for the Rich, Republicans Block Help for Struggling Seniors

For Immediate Release

The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to the defeat of bills in both the U.S House and Senate to provide a one-time $250 payment to seniors.
 
“In a week defined by tax cuts for millionaires, retirees are stunned and outraged that Congress would reject a one-time $250 payment to seniors who, for the second year in a row, have been denied a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) by an arcane and outdated federal statistical formula.

“This legislation is critical to retirees, but unfortunately, congressional Republicans overwhelmingly chose to oppose it.  While Democrats continue to protect Social Security, Republicans continue to advocate risky schemes to privatize it and cut benefits.  America’s seniors deserve better.

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Proposal Unfair to Retirees, Workers

For Immediate Release

The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to the defeat of recommendations by the leaders of the National Commission on Fiscal Reform and Responsibility.
 
“Retirees were relieved when Commission members today rejected their co-chairs’ proposal to drastically cut Social Security benefits and increase the retirement age.  We should never try to balance the budget on the backs of current and future retirees, particularly when Social Security has not added one cent to the deficit.

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Social Security, Medicare Cuts Would Hurt Current and Future Retirees

For Immediate Release


The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to proposals formally unveiled today by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.
 
“The Commission’s recommendations turn a blind eye toward tax cuts for millionaires, and instead choose to callously make workers and retirees pay the price for our nation’s badly-flawed tax and spending policies.  Moreover, by so aggressively targeting Social Security, the Commission is going after one of America’s greatest success stories, one that has not contributed a single penny to our budget deficit.

“Increasing the Social Security retirement age to 69 and reducing monthly benefits would be devastating for current and future retirees.  Today’s workers would have to stay on the job longer, only to receive lower benefits when they retire.  This would cause far more pain for blue collar and service sector workers on Main Street than it would for speculators on Wall Street.

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Should Recuse Himself from Commission Voting

For Immediate Release
November 29, 2010

The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to Alan Simpson, co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, calling today’s seniors, “the greediest generation.”

“Alan Simpson’s recent comments that the ‘greediest generation’ of seniors oppose his calls for reducing Social Security benefits and raising the retirement age are the latest in a long line of anti-senior slurs that sharply call into question his ability to objectively carry out the Commission’s agenda.  Moreover, his comments deeply insult all that this generation did for our nation, both at home and overseas.  

“The Alliance for Retired Americans calls upon other Commission members to denounce these remarks, and for Mr. Simpson to recuse himself from the panel’s final voting, which may occur this week. 

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 Plan from Fiscal Commission Co-chairs is Ridiculous

For Immediate Release
November 10, 2010

The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to a proposal by the co-chairmen of the White House Fiscal Commission, Erskine Bowles and former Sen. Alan Simpson:

“The Bowles-Simpson proposal is not a package we can support.  In fact, it is a package we will strongly oppose.

“While seniors are more than willing to pay their fair share to reduce the nation’s debt, we must not turn to them to pay off such a huge portion of what was accumulated by the entire country. 

“Raising the retirement age to 69 is not a viable solution when so many older workers in difficult jobs are already struggling.

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For Immediate Release                     
November 8, 2010                                                  


The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's candidacy for Democratic Leader.

“Our nation's retirees have always had a great friend in Nancy Pelosi.
 
“At a time of growing threats to Social Security, older Americans can count on Nancy Pelosi.  Speaker Pelosi has expressed her support for a one-time $250 payment to Social Security recipients who were denied a Cost-of-Living Adjustment by an arcane and outdated federal statistical formula.  As some in Washington are falsely linking Social Security to our budget deficit, Speaker Pelosi is standing strong against increasing the retirement age, cutting benefits, or letting big Wall Street firms run a privatized Social Security system.
 
“Because of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's courageous leadership on health reform, millions of retirees will be better able to afford to see a doctor and fill a prescription.  Speaker Pelosi helped close the Medicare “donut hole” coverage gap, eliminate co-pays and deductibles for life-saving screenings and tests, and lower the cost of long-term care for middle class families.
 
“As seniors across the country are struggling to get by, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's leadership is needed more than ever.”

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Voters Should Demand “the Whole Truth” on Social Security, Medicare

For Immediate Release                      
September 23, 2010

The following statement was issued by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired American, in response to the “Pledge to America” released today by U.S. House Republicans:
 
“Today’s agenda provides few specifics for voters concerned about Social Security and Medicare. Seniors need more than buzzwords and bromides to pay their bills, see a doctor, or fill a prescription.

“Conspicuously absent from today’s plan are both aspiring-Speaker John Boehner’s pledge to increase the Social Security retirement age to 70, and also the “Roadmap” of the Budget Committee’s Paul Ryan which would let Wall Street run a privatized Social Security and end Medicare as we know it.

“This fall older voters should press their local GOP candidates for greater detail on Social Security.  Do they support raising the retirement age?  Would they cut benefits?  Would they privatize Social Security and tie it to the uncertainty and greed on Wall Street?

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Slurs Toward Women, Seniors Disqualify Service on Fiscal Commission

For Immediate Release                      
August 31, 2010

The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, who late last week wrote President Obama to demand the resignation of Alan Simpson as Co-Chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.  Simpson referred to Social Security as “a milk cow with 310 million tits" and told a prominent advocate for older women to, “call when you get honest work.”

"There is not a judge in this country that would allow Alan Simpson to serve on a jury if Social Security were on trial.

"Co-chairing a presidential panel is serious business.  Much like serving on a jury, it requires a fair, balanced, and honest evaluation of the evidence.  By this reasonable yardstick, Alan Simpson has disqualified himself from serving on this commission.

"Simpson’s remarks were not only deeply hurtful and inaccurate, but they clearly compromise his ability to objectively weigh the arguments presented to the commission during its deliberations.  His conduct is unbecoming someone trusted with this level of responsibility, and it is time for President Obama to replace him with someone with a greater sense of comportment and impartiality."

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Cite Growing Pattern of Offensive Remarks About Senior Citizens

For Immediate Release
August 25, 2010

 
Washington DC – The Alliance for Retired Americans today wrote President Obama to demand the resignation of Alan Simpson as Co-Chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.  

Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling and Executive Director Ed Coyle wrote the White House in the wake of a growing pattern of offensive comments Simpson has been making about senior citizens, the most recent of which was an e-mail he wrote to the Executive Director of the Older Women’s League, in which he said that Social Security is "like a milk cow with 310 million tits."  Furthermore, he also told the prominent aging policy leader to, “call when you get honest work.”

Copy of letter.

Easterling and Coyle wrote that these remarks are, “conduct unbecoming a person named to co-chair a presidential panel.  Moreover, it is the latest in a series of derisive and inappropriate comments Mr. Simpson has made about our nation’s seniors and the Social Security benefits they have earned and rely upon to make ends meet.”

Previously, Simpson has referred to seniors as “greedy geezers;” said that lower-income Americans are “lesser people in society;” and that he is frustrated hearing from retirees who, “live in gated communities and drive their Lexus to the Perkins restaurant to get the AARP discount.”

/simpson_resignation.pdf

“True American Success Story” Threatened by False Claims, Ideology

For Immediate Release
August 13, 2010

The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, on the 75^th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt signing Social Security into law on August 14, 1935.

“Retirees have much to be proud of as Social Security turns 75.  It is a true American success story, one that has kept generations of seniors out of poverty, and allowed millions to retire with dignity and peace of mind.  But this milestone anniversary is tainted by calls, in the name of deficit reduction, to cut Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age.

“Current and future retirees have reason to be concerned.  First, the claims that Social Security adds to our deficit are just plain wrong. Social Security is fully-funded through payroll taxes on workers and employers; it has not added a cent to the federal deficit.