AARP

February 11, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – As the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 enters conference, Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate have the opportunity to work together to provide real relief to Americans who have been hit hardest by the economic crisis and jump start our ailing economy.

Nancy LeaMond, Executive Vice President at AARP, released the following statement today:    » read more »

January 29, 2009 -- Washington, DC – AARP praised President Obama and Congress for their expeditious handling of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, calling the legislation an “important breakthrough” in the fight against discrimination.

The bill was signed into law today by the President in the first signing ceremony of his Administration. With bipartisan cooperation, the new Congress demonstrated its resolve to protect against discrimination in the workplace, advancing the legislation within the past three weeks. The House gave final approval Tuesday.    » read more »

January 23, 2009 -- Washington, DC – AARP lauded the Senate today for its swift approval of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. The bill was approved Thursday night in a 61-36 vote that followed passage by the House on January 9.

The Senate action on the Ledbetter legislation, which was drafted in response to the misguided reasoning of a 2007 Supreme Court decision on wage discrimination, drew praise from AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond.

“This bill is one that all those sensitive to equality in the workplace will salute,” LeaMond said in noting that Senators with differing viewpoints came together to pass the bill. “We look forward to the signing of this important legislation by President Obama.”    » read more »

January 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, AARP today charged that the Treasury Department “has largely ignored Congress’ directive to facilitate mortgage modifications” and called on Congress to provide “average homeowners with the same rights and opportunities to protect their primary assets in bankruptcy that corporations, investors, farmers and others have relied on for many years.”    » read more »

Fighting Gas Prices, Nearly A Third of Americans Age 50+ Hang Up Their Keys To Walk But Find Streets Inhospitable, Public Transportation Inaccessible

August 13, 2008 -- A new poll by AARP finds that while many Americans ages 50+ are trying to move away from car transportation as a result of high gas prices, their attempt to go “green” is challenged by inadequate sidewalks and bike lanes, as well as insufficient public transportation options.

Subway entrance in Brooklyn, New York: Photo by ian crowther (CC)    » read more »

June 17, 2008 -- With more than a million people filling for bankruptcy in 2007, a new study by Elizabeth Warren, a Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law at the Harvard Law School who compiled the study for AARP’s Public Policy Institute (PPI) shows that the rate of bankruptcy filings among those 65 and older has more than doubled since 1991.    » read more »

June 12, 2008 -- AARP issued a statement in response to today’s vote to block necessary Medicare legislation in the U.S. Senate. The statement, from AARP CEO Bill Novelli, follows:

“Partisanship and inaction continued to grip the Senate today, derailing a bipartisan bill to improve Medicare for millions of older Americans. While we thank those Senators from both sides of the aisle who supported this critical bill, we are troubled that people in Medicare will once again see negative consequences because of partisan gridlock.    » read more »

April 15, 2008 -- AARP Services and Focalyst exposed a number of common myths about the Baby Boomer generation in the third Quarterly Boomer Report released today. The report, “How Well Do You Know Boomers? Counting Down the Top 10 Boomer Myths,” identified and investigated the top myths associated with Boomers in order to separate fact from fiction.

“Boomers are redefining age and changing the way business is done” said Howard Byck, VP Corporate Development for AARP Services. “Contrary to many common assumptions, Boomers are making retirement obsolete, are very savvy about advertising, and are experimenting with new products.”    » read more »

WASHINGTON - A new report from the Institute of Medicine, funded in part by AARP, highlights the growing need for immediate action to improve and strengthen our health and long-term care workforce. Today, AARP is announcing its endorsement of bipartisan legislation that would help address the nation's growing need to provide care for our aging population by encouraging training in geriatrics, gerontology and long-term care.    » read more »

April 10, 2008 - David Sloane, AARP Senior Vice President, issued the following response to the U.S. Senate’s passage of the “Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008”:

“AARP is disappointed the legislation failed to include needed provisions that would help prevent foreclosures. While we appreciate the inclusion of the reverse mortgage provisions of the FHA Modernization Act, we hope this bill is the down payment on a broader overall effort to protect millions of American families from the crashing housing market.    » read more »

April 7, 2008 -- With lawmakers returning to Washington, AARP announced the launch of a new effort to “Keep Medicare Fair” when Congress takes up legislation this spring. A new web site, KeepMedicareFair.org, and print advertising will kick off AARP’s work this week with more to come as Congress approaches its June 30 deadline for action.

Photo by vk-red (CC)    » read more »

March 19, 2008 -- Members of Generations X and Y, acknowledging that they need to pick up the slack when it comes to planning for their futures, are thinking about retirement and have defined financial goals according to a report released today by the Divided We Fail group (AARP, Business Roundtable, National Federation of Independent Business and the Service Employees International Union) and the American Savings Education Council (ASEC).    » read more »

March 12, 2008 -- As lawmakers continue work on the FY2009 budget, AARP issued a statement urging Members of Congress to support the House and Senate budget resolutions and to oppose harmful amendments that would negatively impact older Americans. The Association has been actively lobbying both chambers to ensure Congress passes a budget resolution that addresses the priorities of older Americans. The statement, from AARP Senior Vice President David Sloane, follows:    » read more »

March 5, 2008 -- According to a report released today by AARP, pharmaceutical companies have substantially raised prices on 220 brand name prescription drugs most commonly used by people in Medicare Part D since the implementation of the drug benefit in 2006.

AARP has studied drug prices since 2002 and reported the findings in a series of Watchdog reports. Today’s report expands on the series by focusing its analysis on those brand prescription drugs most widely used by people enrolled in Medicare Part D.    » read more »

February 28, 2008 -- Women are nearly twice as likely to be poor as men as they reach pre-retirement and retirement ages, according to a new report by AARP’s Public Policy Institute (PPI). The study, titled “From Work To Retirement: Tracking Changes in Women’s Poverty Status,” found that variables such as marital status, labor force participation, and health status affect the risk of poverty for women as they age.    » read more »