Press Releases
March 23, 2012
Press Release: 2011 Retiree Voting Record Released on Second Anniversary of Health Care Reform
Scoring Includes Who Voted to Repeal Affordable Care Act
For Immediate Release
Washington, DC – To mark the two-year anniversary of health care reform, the Alliance for Retired Americans today released a new report detailing the voting record of every U.S. Senator and Representative on key issues affecting current and future retirees. The document is available at https://retiredamericans.org/voting-record/.
The Alliance voting record examined 10 key Senate votes and 10 key House votes in 2011, showing the roll calls on issues such as health care repeal; the Paul Ryan budget – which had a vote in both the House and Senate; and a balanced budget amendment.
“The 2010 Affordable Care Act created positive change for retirees and older Americans. Beginning in 2011, the Medicare Part D doughnut began to close. Co-payments and deductibles have been eliminated for Medicare covered preventive screenings as well as for an annual wellness checkup. Medicare Advantage overpayments to insurance companies are ending and thus extending the financial health of the Medicare Trust Fund,” said Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling.
“Yet many in Congress voted to repeal these provisions as well as to privatize Medicare and create a voucher-like system in its place,” continued Easterling. “Higher scores on the 2011 Voting Record reflect a commitment to improve health care, strengthen Medicare, and put seniors ahead of drug and insurance companies.”
According to the Alliance, 155 U.S. House members achieved perfect scores of 100 percent in 2011. Two hundred and twenty-eight received scores of zero. The strong polarization reflects the voting record of the freshman class of the U.S House and enforced party discipline. Of the 84 freshmen Republicans elected in the 2010 midterm elections, 73 received a score of 0.
Twenty-six members of the U.S. Senate achieved perfect scores of 100 percent in 2011, while another 26 received zeroes.
“This voting record measures how committed our elected officials are to retirees and seniors. I encourage everyone to monitor how their leaders vote. With so much at stake, we must be as educated and active as we can be,” Easterling said.
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Contact: David Blank (202) 637-5275 or dblank@retiredamericans.org
