60 Plus Chairman Jim Martin slams group for “outrageous falsehoods, and outrageous profits.”

(Alexandria, Virginia) – 60 Plus Chairman Jim Martin, leader of the nation’s most prominent conservative seniors advocacy group, lashed out today against a new TV advertising campaign from the AARP, which attacks the Republican plan to save Social Security and Medicare.  The ad campaign comes as news is surfacing that the AARP is now supporting cuts to Social Security benefits, as well as higher taxes on many working seniors.

“For years we have been calling the AARP what they are, which is the Association Against Retired Persons, and this ad campaign is the clearest example why.  For them to run ads falsely accusing the GOP of cutting Social Security benefits, while simultaneously advocating Social Security cuts on behalf of their friends in the White House shows exactly why the AARP cannot be trusted, and how easily they disregard the needs of seniors in their outrageous chase of profits.

“The AARP is a $1.4 billion organization, and the ObamaCare legislation they supported — which included $500 billion in cuts to Medicare — is only going to inflate their profits as seniors are dumped from their coverage and are forced to purchase products that the AARP happens to offer.  Their allegiance is to the liberal lobby in Washington who are wedded to taxes and entitlement cuts, not to America’s seniors.  Follow the money, and you’ll find the AARP first in line every time.

“Adding insult to outrage is the fact that the AARP receives more than $80 million per year in subsidies from the federal government.  Running false ads with your own money is bad enough, but doing so with taxpayer money is beyond the pale, and adds another log to the fire on why AARP should be cut off from taxpayer funding.

“The only workable plan to save both Medicare and Social Security has been offered by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (WI) and his Republicans colleagues.  They are doing the serious business of government, which is to save Social Security and Medicare both for today’s seniors and for future generations.  They deserve better than to be the object of the AARP’s continued false accusations and scare tactics.

“We just saw a member of Congress resign because he falsely accused others to mask his outrageous and offensive behavior.  How is this any different from the actions of the AARP?  Their phony attacks against GOP House members are nothing more than a cover-up of their support of $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, and push for cuts and higher taxes on Social Security.

“If the AARP had any decency, they would pull these ads and join in the serious discussion of saving entitlements.  Given their hostility toward seniors and their willingness to soil public debate with falsehoods, I’m not holding my breath.”

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