For Immediate Release:
April 26, 2001
(100 Day Anniversary: Sunday, April 29)
100 DAYS: ‘GOLDEN ERA FOR SENIOR CITIZENS’

60 Plus Association President Jim Martin labeled the President’s first 100 days as launching ‘a golden era for senior citizens’ by his policies.

“George Bush not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. Apparently, he says what he means, and means what he says. Bush is a president who has remembered senior citizens in his major policy pronouncements,” noted Martin.

One of his strongest promises was for repeal of the death tax, a tax that hurts the elderly, and is especially unfair to minorities and women. His tax package to Congress called for eliminating the death tax.

The House of Representatives followed suit and voted on April 4, 274-154, to end the death tax and a total of 58 Democrats joined Republicans to get rid of this confiscatory tax. We now look for action by the Senate, and we now have a president, George W. Bush, who will sign repeal of the death tax into law.

Martin also called attention to other senior friendly actions by President Bush:

· A prescription drug benefit for senior citizens;

· A federal budget that is senior friendly by protecting Social Security and Medicare.

· A commission to examine and secure the future of Social Security and Medicare;

· An across the board tax cut which would help seniors, their children and grandchildren;

· An education program to benefit the children and grandchildren of seniors which will assure educators will be held accountable toward quality education.

· A stronger national defense budget.

· A faith based policy that 60 Plus seniors endorse.

Martin noted that, despite the close election, Bush has received a 63 percent, or 6 in 10, approval of the job he is doing, in a recent ABC-Washington Post poll.

President Bush has demonstrated that he cares about senior citizens. The President proposes, the Congress disposes. Now, the challenge is to Congress to move quickly on adopting the Bush agenda so that seniors can enjoy their golden years free from excessive taxation and secure in the future of Social Security and Medicare.

60 Plus is a nine-year old, non-partisan senior citizen advocacy group with half a million members nationally. 60 Plus issues a Scorecard, presents a “Guardian of Seniors’ Rights” Award to legislators from both political parties, and publishes a newsletter, “Senior Voice.”

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60 Plus is a nine-year-old non-profit, nonpartisan group with a less government, less taxes approach to seniors’ issues. 60 Plus is supported by voluntary donations from its 500,000 citizen lobbyists to print and mail millions of letters, petitions and voting indexes. 60 Plus publishes a newsletter, SENIOR VOICE, and a SCORECARD, bestowing a GUARDIAN OF SENIORS’ RIGHTS award on lawmakers in both parties who vote “pro-senior.” 60 Plus has been called “an increasingly influential lobbying group for the elderly…”