The candidate was asked to check either the support or oppose boxes.
I commit to help end gridlock by working across party lines to develop and support common-sense, bipartisan solutions on health care and financial security.
AARP's Position
John McCain (Republican)
Barack Obama (Democrat)
QUESTION:
What will be your top domestic issue priorities if elected? How will you work to break the gridlock to get things done on these issues? Please list your top three domestic priorities:
AARP RESPONSE:
AARP's position: Millions of Americans worry about their health and long-term financial security. They fear the future will not be as prosperous for their children and grandchildren. They face competing demands: affording health care, saving for retirement, sending children to college and supporting aging parents. At the same time, soaring health care costs constrain businesses' ability to grow and compete. Our elected leaders in Washington have become increasingly unable to solve major issues because of partisan gridlock. Americans want results from our elected leaders, not promises without action. It's time for individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, and government to come together to find solutions. AARP believes that providing quality, affordable health care and improving lifelong financial security for all Americans should be Washington's top domestic priorities.
John McCain (Republican) RESPONSE:
Among my highest national priorities would be reforming our nation's failing institutions and assuring American prosperity. Essential to this agenda is supporting the housing market, reforming our health care system, addressing needed reform to our entitlement programs, and enacting needed reforms to ensure we can fund our national priorities, while offering a pro-growth tax code that would promote investment and spur economic growth and job creation. For too long, Washington has been consumed by a hyper-partisanship that treats every challenge facing us as an opportunity to disparage each other's motives and fight about the next election. My career is replete with examples of the type of bipartisan problem solving that we need to address these great challenges and secure our nation's prosperity.
Barack Obama (Democrat) RESPONSE:
My top domestic priorities will be reforming our health care system to ensure all Americans have affordable, quality health coverage; enacting a bold climate change and energy independence agenda that creates 5 million new green jobs; and ensuring the long-term growth of our economy. I will build consensus for my proposals that reflects my campaign to engage directly with the American people and reject the old politics of Washington which has cared more about special interests than the national interest. As a result of that failed politics, more Americans lack health insurance than any other period in history, are paying record gas prices and have increasing economic insecurity while corporations are raking in record profits. My presidency will put an end to that failed system.
A balanced Social Security plan to ensure guaranteed benefits
AARP's Position
John McCain (Republican)
Barack Obama (Democrat)
Diverting Social Security payroll taxes to individual retirement accounts
AARP's Position
John McCain (Republican)
Barack Obama (Democrat)
QUESTION:
Will you support or oppose a balanced Social Security plan to continue the program's guaranteed benefits for future generations? Will you support or oppose diverting Social Security payroll taxes to fund individual retirement accounts?
AARP RESPONSE:
Social Security has provided peace of mind for Americans for over 70 years. The program's guaranteed, inflation adjusted benefit protects families when a worker retires, becomes disabled or dies. We all benefit from the shared responsibility of providing for today's beneficiaries, with the knowledge that future generations will also share the responsibility for us. AARP believes that a bipartisan plan that balances additional contributions from higher income workers with modest adjustments in future benefits can maintain Social Security's guaranteed benefits for future generations. AARP supports individual retirement accounts in addition to current guaranteed Social Security benefits, but believes diverting Social Security taxes from the Trust Fund to fund individual retirement accounts instead of Social Security would weaken the program and create a mountain of new federal debt.
John McCain (Republican) RESPONSE:
The only way we can ensure benefits for future generations is to put Social Security on a sound financial footing. As president, I will work with Congress on a bipartisan basis to make the hard choices to assure the solvency of Social Security and to protect the retirement security of the American worker.
Barack Obama (Democrat) RESPONSE:
I am committed to ensuring Social Security is solvent and viable for the American people. I will be honest with the American people about Social Security and the ways we can address the long-term shortfall. I will protect Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries, oppose efforts to raise the retirement age and stand firmly against privatization. I believe that the first place to look for ways to strengthen Social Security is the payroll tax, which only applies to the first $102,000 a worker makes. I have consistently said that we should examine including a 'donut hole' to ensure we do not increase the burdens on middle class Americans. I will work with Congress and the American people to strengthen Social Security.
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