60 Plus Chairman, “The ugly truth is coming out more and more on AARP’s activities.”

(Alexandria, Virginia) – The AARP is facing increasing heat on Capitol Hill in light of a House Energy and Commerce Committee investigation released this month that exposes an extraordinary amount of coordination between the seniors group and White House officials to help pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA) two years ago, despite evidence at the time that AARP’s membership overwhelmingly opposed the health care bill, just as they do currently.

In a letter delivered this week to AARP CEO Barry Rand from U.S. Senators Tom Coburn (OK) and John Barrasso (WY), along with Representatives Phil Gingrey (GA) and Charles Boustany (LA), answers were demanded from Rand on whether AARP in fact coordinated paid advocacy efforts to pass the ACA with the White House, including paying for robo calls and contributing money to tax-exempt groups established solely for the purpose of trying to sell the bill to America’s seniors.

Said 60 Plus Chairman, Jim Martin, “The AARP needs to explain to America’s seniors why it was ignoring the voice of their own members during the health care debate, who were calling AARP phone lines and opposing Obama’s health care bill by a margin of 14 to 1.  This is nothing short of shocking, and puts to rest forever the canard that the AARP is ‘listening’ to seniors.  They may hear seniors, but they choose to ignore them, and instead listen to their political benefactors in the White House and DCCC.

“Seniors deserve to know, why did AARP fail to disclose their back-room activities?  What did the White House promise in return for their efforts?  Why did AAR P push legislation its own membership overwhelmingly opposed?  These are very troubling questions that AARP must answer, and can no longer duck.  With each revelation about their activities, AARP looks less and less like a seniors advocacy group, and more like an annex of the Democratic party.

“We are waiting for your answers, Mr. Rand.  Seniors deserve and answer; they have EARNED an answer.”

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