AARP Pushes For More Social Spending In Stimulus Package
Tuesday January 6th, 2009 / 20h28
By Patrick Yoest
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Portraying a turbulent situation for Americans contemplating retirement, the nation's largest advocacy group for older people called for increased social spending in a stimulus package as a way to soften the blow of the nation's economic woes on those without jobs or health insurance.
AARP released its annual advocacy agenda Tuesday, calling for increases in federal aid for state Medicaid programs and a new extension of unemployment assistance, as well as the adoption of health technology legislation, as part of an economic stimulus package. The group also called for new foreclosure protections that would allow bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages to avoid bank repossession.
AARP executive vice president of social impact, Nancy Leamond, said results of a survey conducted by the group showed that 57% of adults older than 45 "expect to delay retirement and work longer as a result of their investment losses." Twenty-five percent of those already retired said they are now looking for work because they need more income.
"In a nutshell, the survey found that middle-aged and older Americans are worrying more about the economy," Leamond said.
The stimulus package, now under discussion between President-elect Obama and congressional leaders, is expected to include tax cuts and new spending initiatives. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Monday that "we have not received, of course, the exact package" from Obama, but that Obama has indicated that nearly all of the economists he has consulted with have said it should be within the range of $800 billion to $1.2 trillion or $1.3 trillion.
The AARP also is seeking increased food stamp funding, temporary assistance to help those who have lost health insurance purchase coverage, low-income energy assistance, higher funding for job training programs and higher funding for transportation and infrastructure programs.
According to AARP director of government relations David Sloane, it appears that bankruptcy protection legislation "is not going to be in the stimulus package," but that it could be tied to congressional approval of a second tranche of funding for the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program.
AARP is also pushing for a moratorium on foreclosures - an item that has the support of President-elect Obama.
The group has a strong reputation among seniors, and it has considerable clout on Capitol Hill largely because of its membership tally - roughly 40 million members nationwide.
The group is continuing its push for health reform legislation. John Rother, who leads policy and strategy for the AARP, said that he expects that the health reform debate this year will be complex - and time-consuming.
"If we're lucky, we'll have a floor action in the summer and then a conference in the fall, and that would be the most ambitious timetable," Rother said. "Having action this year, even if it's not signed into law by the end of the year, would be really important."
-By Patrick Yoest, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-3554; patrick.yoest@dowjones.com
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