President-elect Barack Obama and a new Congress were elected to lead our country during a period of almost unprecedented difficulty. AARP, on behalf of our 40 million members and their families, looks forward to working with our new leadership on several key issues.
We still have hopes that the current Congress can act before the year is out, but if not, we urge the members of the next session to pass a legislative package that would stimulate the economy while providing relief to those most in need. This should include temporarily increasing Medicaid support for states, adding bankruptcy protections for struggling homeowners, and providing older Americans with the flexibility to manage nest eggs by temporarily making minimum withdrawals from retirement plans optional rather than mandatory.
Our new president and Congress have the opportunity to help current workers save for retirement at a time when traditional pensions are disappearing. They should encourage employers to auto-enroll employees in 401(k) plans, as well as pass the bipartisan Auto IRA Act, which would provide workplace savings plans for approximately 50 million Americans who do not currently have them.
They should ensure Social Security’s long-term solvency so that our kids and grandkids have access to this bedrock of lifetime economic security. AARP and our members are willing to help create solutions that will be fair for every generation.
One of the greatest threats to the wellbeing of our country is our broken health care system. Over the past eight years, the average total premium for family health-insurance coverage almost doubled, far outpacing inflation and income growth. Skyrocketing health care costs have driven many employers to scale back health coverage to their workers.
While the federal budget is straining under a poor economy and record deficits, the price of inaction on health care reform will be far greater. President Obama and leaders in Congress need to rein in health care costs and protect those Americans who are getting left behind, most notably children in poor families and older Americans who are not yet eligible for Medicare.
The new administration should build on current bipartisan support for long-term structural fixes that will increase efficiency, quality and safety within the health care system. These common-sense solutions include adopting health information technology, using comparative effectiveness research to determine which treatments work best for individuals, and ensuring that we have an adequate workforce of primary care doctors and nurses to handle our aging population.
Ultimately, the focus of our health care system must move away from the mechanics (who we can see for which treatments and for how much) to the outcomes (how we get and stay healthy).
Above all, we hope that our new leaders break through the partisan gridlock that has stifled progress in Washington for decades. Solutions will not be possible as long as political scorekeeping trumps collaboration across the aisle.
Democrats should not interpret their dramatic election results as a mandate to impose any ideology, anymore than their Republican colleagues should approach 2009 with entrenched defensiveness. Instead, they should heed the loud, clear message sent by the American people in this last election: They want a fundamental change in the way that Washington does business.
We know that solving our country’s daunting challenges will require that we all work together and accept sacrifices. We understand that the generation following the boomers could be the first in our history to be less well off than their parents. To us, that’s just not acceptable.
That is why we created the Divided We Fail movement, in collaboration with the business community and organized labor. We teamed up with these ideologically diverse groups and are working together because the status quo isn’t working for any generation.
If our leaders create bipartisan solutions that are fair for everyone, Divided We Fail will help by engaging people across the country. If they don’t, however, we are prepared to hold them accountable.
AARP is grateful that the 2008 elections brought out so many qualified and committed leaders who fought to assume incredibly difficult jobs during a particularly challenging moment in time. We are also grateful that the elections are over.
Now let’s get to work.
Bill Novelli is CEO of AARP.
