September 26, 2022
Retiree Group Endorses Tim Ryan for Election to U.S. Senate
Cites His Commitment to Expanding and Protecting Earned Social Security and Medicare Benefits
Columbus – Members of the Alliance for Retired Americans proudly announced their endorsement of Tim Ryan for election to the U.S. Senate from Ohio today. The Alliance for Retired Americans is a national grassroots advocacy organization with more than 290,000 members in Ohio.
“Rep. Ryan has already proven as a member of the U.S. House that he will look out for older people in Washington. He has earned a lifetime score of 98% in the Alliance’s annual Congressional Voting Record, including a score of 100% in 2021,” said Norm Wernet, President of the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans. “We trust him to work to expand and preserve our hard earned Social Security and Medicare benefits in the U.S. Senate. He knows that many seniors in Ohio rely on those benefits, and he’s working to protect all of our retirement security.”
J.D. Vance does not support expanding Social Security benefits. In fact, he supports cutting them. Vance would also end guaranteed Medicare benefits as we know them.
In addition, Wernet praised Rep. Ryan’s votes for legislation to make vaccines free for all Medicare beneficiaries; lower drug costs by requiring Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors; cap out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year; and cap insulin copays at $35 per month. Vance called the bill containing those provisions a “catastrophically bad piece of legislation.”
Finally, Rep. Ryan supports expanding vote by mail and protecting voting rights. Vance does not.
“The stakes couldn’t be higher for seniors. We need Tim Ryan in the Senate fighting against any Republican plan to cut or ‘sunset’ Social Security and Medicare,” emphasized Wernet. “Under the plan of Sen. Rick Scott (FL), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Social Security and Medicare would be automatically terminated within five years unless renewed by legislative action.”
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Contact: Norm Wernet, ohioretiredamericans@gmail.com