PRESS RELEASE from AARP

AARP Reacts to Election Results


AARP CEO Bill Novelli released the following statement after the election results were in:

“Today marks the beginning of a new era in Washington. The people spoke clearly at the polls, and the one message we can take away from the results is that the country is looking for leadership to break through partisan gridlock and get things done. This country’s problems, especially with regard to health and financial security, are far too big for one party to handle on its own – they require the ideas and support of both sides of the aisle.

“We always knew that whoever was elected would enter office with a mandate for change and a window of opportunity to propose and urge Congress to enact legislation to bring about that change. That mandate has now been delivered to President-Elect Obama, and he must seize the opportunity before him.

“Since 1900, only two presidents, Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, have entered office facing anything resembling the dire economic circumstances we face today. Each spent their first year focused not just on solving the current crisis, but on changing government and society to move the nation forward. And each called upon the American people to do their part to help solve the crises and change America.

“It is not by coincidence, for example, that Social Security was born out of the Great Depression under FDR, or that it was fixed for a generation amid economic turmoil – and near insolvency – under President Reagan.

“As the new Obama Administration transitions into the White House, and the new Congress convenes, AARP will be there to ensure that the lifetime economic security and health care needs of all Americans are being dealt with in a fair and appropriate manner. As that process begins, however, we must realize the potential of this country and the new government the people have elected is great, but will only be realized with the leadership America desperately needs.

“These are difficult times with huge challenges. But they also present us with an extraordinary opportunity to change America for a generation and beyond. AARP and its 40 million members stand ready to do our part.”

ABOUT AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 34.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.