Friday, September 23, 2011

AARP Mailbag: 1 of 4

From: Fred Griesbach
To: luridtransom
Sent: Friday, September 21, 2011 5:00 AM
Subject: Your retirement isn't a budget line item

Dear George,

The Congressional supercommittee will be meeting again tomorrow.

We just have a few weeks left to show Congress why it's so important to protect Medicare and Social Security benefits.

Send a powerful story to Congress today or tell your own.

Tomorrow, the 12 members of Congress on the newly created Congressional "supercommittee" will be meeting again to discuss a deal to reduce the deficit and your Medicare and Social Security benefits are on the table for possible benefit cuts.

George, activists like you have shared thousands of powerful stories to show the importance of Medicare and Social Security benefits to everyday people. We need to make sure Congress hears these stories NOW, before the supercommittee begins finalizing their recommendations.

Send an AARP activist's powerful story to Congress today or tell your own and show them why it's so important to protect Medicare and Social Security benefits.

For many in Congress, these critical programs are just numbers on a balance sheet in this debate. But here are the numbers that really matter half of Americans 65 and older have an income of less than $18,500 per year, and many spend over $3,000 a year on health care costs alone.

Cuts to benefits would mean that people like Elsie N., who relies on Medicare to help her afford her husband's critical medications, would be left with dangerous choices, especially in these tough economic times.

The supercommittee should be focusing on cutting waste and tax loopholes to address the deficit, not on cutting the benefits you've earned. Your real stories have the power to change minds in Washington, but it's up to us to make sure they're heard.

The supercommittee meets again tomorrow. Send a powerful story today, and show Congress that your retirement security isn't simply a budget line item, and why it's so important for them to say no to benefit cuts.

Thank you for taking action at this critical time - we just have a few more weeks to make our voices heard.

Sincerely,
Fred Griesbach
AARP Campaigns

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