Printable Version
Voting Record Press Release
Thursday, May 1, 2008
For Immediate Release
Capitol Hill Votes
on Seniors
and Retirees Scrutinized
Congress Tries to Stand Up for
Seniors, but Faces
Stiff Resistance from White House, Drug and
Insurance Industry
Lobbyists
Washington, DC -
Marking the beginning of
Older Americans Month, a new congressional
voting record released
today by the Alliance for Retired Americans
details the voting record
of every U.S. Senator and Representative on key
issues affecting
current and future retirees. The document
is available at www.retiredamericans.org
“What
is at stake
is nothing less than the future of retirement
in America. As our
leaders in Washington vote on prescription
drugs, Medicare, Social
Security, health care, and pensions,
politically savvy seniors need to
know where their elected officials stand on
these important issues,”
said Alliance President George J.
Kourpias.
“I am not the only
one who worries that this may be the last
generation that ever gets to
retire,” Kourpias said, noting a recent
nationwide survey of seniors
in which 88 percent of respondents did not
believe their children or
grandchildren would have the quality of life
that they have
had.
The Alliance voting record examines
10 key Senate votes
and 10 key House votes in 2007, showing the
roll calls on blocking
Social Security privatization, lowering
Medicare costs, expanding
access to affordable health care, stopping oil
price gouging, and
protecting voting rights.
According to the
Alliance, 244 U.S. House members received
passing grades (60 percent
or higher), with 176 achieving perfect scores
of 100 percent.
189 received failing grades (below 60 percent),
with 66 receiving
scores of zero. Two seats were vacant
during these
votes.
In the Senate, 52 members
received passing grades (60
percent or higher), with 31 achieving perfect
scores of 100
percent. 47 received failing grades
(below 60 percent), with 27
receiving scores of zero. Senator
Senators Hillary
Clinton and Barack Obama each scored 100
percent, while Senator John
McCain scored a zero on the ten votes evaluated
by the Alliance in
2007.
The widespread voter discontent in
the 2006 congressional
elections ushered in a new Congress which
sought to improve health
care, reduce drug prices, and end taxpayer
overpayments to private
insurance companies who operate Medicare
Advantage programs.
Unfortunately for America’s seniors, these
efforts were stymied by
opposition from the White House and
pharmaceutical and insurance
lobbyists.
“This voting record measures
how committed our
elected officials are to retirees and older
Americans. I
encourage everyone to become fully aware of how
their leaders
vote. With so much at stake, we must be
as educated and active
as we can,” Kourpias said.
Contact:
Marcie Kohenak (202) 637-5178 or mkohenak@retiredamericans.org