Illinois US House, District 14

Transcription

1 2008 AARP Voters Guide Illinois US House, District 14 How to use the AARP Voters Guide: Here s how this Voters Guide works. AARP asked key questions about issues important to our members and their families of each major candidate for this race. Each candidate was allowed up to 125 words to answer each question. AARP did not edit or modify those answers. The candidates were asked to check the support or oppose circles. The candidates may have chosen not to check a circle. In addition, AARP has provided a summary of our position for each of the issues. Pass this guide on to friends and family. Share your views with the candidates. Ask for clarification from any candidate whose answer seems unclear. Be sure to vote on March 8. Inside: Social Security 2 Health Care Reform 3 Medicare 4 Long-Term Care 5 Retirement Security 6

2 Social Security 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 using Social Security taxes to fund private accounts? A balanced Social Security plan for guaranteed benefits. Using Social Security taxes for private accounts. For 70 years, America s families have relied on the values embodied in Social Security. The program s guaranteed, risk-free benefit protects people from outliving their savings or the loss of a spouse or parent. We all benefit from the shared responsibility of providing for today s beneficiaries, with the knowledge that that same responsibility will be met by future generations for us. AARP believes that a bipartisan plan that balances additional contributions from higher income workers with modest adjustments in future benefits can maintain guaranteed Social Security benefits for future generations. Private accounts that drain money out of the Social Security Trust Fund would make it harder to strengthen the program and create a mountain of new federal debt for our children and grandchildren. A balanced Social Security plan for guaranteed benefits. Using Social Security taxes for private accounts. Candidate chose not to make additional comments. A balanced Social Security plan for guaranteed benefits. Using Social Security taxes for private accounts. 2 Illinois US House, District 14 March 8, 2008

3 Health Care Reform Will you support or oppose a shared approach involving government, employers and individuals providing health care coverage for everyone? A shared approach to providing health care coverage. In the absence of universal coverage, AARP supports specific reforms that increase the number of people with health care coverage, either through public or private insurance. More and more Americans, including a growing number of workers, find themselves without health insurance. Increasing health care costs strain businesses large and small, leading them to either stop offering health care coverage altogether or raise employee premiums and co-pays. Shifting an everlarger share of health care costs to individuals does not address the problem of the high cost of health care and threatens the health and financial security of American families. AARP believes that government, employers and individuals should share the responsibility for paying for health care coverage. A shared approach to providing health care coverage. I believe we need to move to a universal health care system as soon as possible because costs are spiraling out of control for both businesses and individuals, and the number of uninsured is almost 50 million and growing. Such a system should provide a basic level of health care for all citizens but should not interfere with a citizen s right to purchase the appropriate level of health care. Incentives for personal responsibility must be included since a large fraction of the spiraling costs are caused by preventable problems like diabetes. As a scientist, I will take a data-driven approach to determine whether we should implement a single-payer style system or one with a role for private enterprise. I would favor testing payment systems with varying degrees of private enterprise involvement in individual states, and choosing whichever system is most efficient. A shared approach to providing health care coverage. Illinois US House, District 14 March 8,

4 Medicare Will you support or oppose allowing Medicare to use its bargaining power to negotiate lower prices for needed prescription drugs? Will you support or oppose imposing an annual limit on federal Medicare spending? Medicare negotiating to lower drug prices. An annual limit on federal Medicare spending. Medicare Part D is now helping millions of people in Medicare save money on their prescription drugs. But while those with Part D coverage are saving, the actual cost of prescription drugs continues to increase at a rate greater than general inflation. AARP believes that more must be done to bring down soaring drug costs and supports allowing Medicare to use its bargaining power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. Proposals have been made in Congress to put an annual limit on how much money the federal government spends on the Medicare program. AARP opposes arbitrary limits on Medicare funding. Medicare negotiating to lower drug prices. An annual limit on federal Medicare spending. Candidate chose not to make additional comments. Medicare negotiating to lower drug prices. An annual limit on federal Medicare spending. 4 Illinois US House, District 14 March 8, 2008

5 AARP Voters Guide US Illinois President US House, District 14 Prescription Long-Term Care Drug Costs Will you support or oppose a combined approach that involves government and individuals covering long-term care? Will you support or oppose requiring individuals to buy private longterm care insurance? A combined approach to covering long-term care. Requiring individuals to purchase private long-term care insurance. Long-term care can be costly for people who do not have family caregivers or need more care than family and friends can provide. Qualifying for Medicaid the primary public funding source for long-term care requires either very low assets and income, or depleting almost all assets and income to pay for care. Current private insurance is either too expensive or unavailable for many people. Approaches that give people cash payments to choose, buy and manage their care, along with counseling to help them make and manage care choices, help maintain dignity and maximize independence. AARP supports a publicly funded, long-term care cash benefit program paid for through a combination of government and individual contributions to give people more control over their own care. AARP opposes requiring individuals to buy private long-term care insurance. A combined approach to covering long-term care. Requiring individuals to purchase private long-term care insurance. Candidate chose not to make additional comments. A combined approach to covering long-term care. Requiring individuals to purchase private long-term care insurance. Illinois US House, District 14 March 8,

6 AARP Voters Guide Illinois US President US House, District 14 Retirement Prescription Security Drug Costs Do you support or oppose requiring employers to give workers access to automatic payroll deductions to fund their personal IRAs? Automatic payroll deduction for IRAs. Social Security was never intended to be a worker s only source of retirement income. Even though people know Social Security will not be enough to live on, many find it difficult to save for the future. AARP supports creating and expanding supplemental retirement accounts that enable workers to accumulate retirement savings in addition to Social Security s guaranteed benefits. AARP supports making saving for retirement simpler and fairer by requiring that employers give workers access to voluntary, automatic payroll deductions to their own IRAs if their employers do not already give them access to a pension or 401(k) plan. Automatic payroll deduction for IRAs. Candidate chose not to make additional comments. Automatic payroll deduction for IRAs. 6 Illinois US House, District 14 March 8, 2008

7 AARP is making a difference! Whether it s fighting for affordable health care or working to ensure retirement security for all Americans. But we can t do it without you. Sign up for free updates and action alerts from AARP. We ll keep you informed about what s really going on in the White House, Congress, and your state legislature. Visit or fill out the form below. Thank you for participating in the AARP 2008 Election Project! FIRST NAME INIT. LAST NAME ADDRESS APT. # - CITY STATE ZIP (for example: your @provider.com) ( ) - PHONE NUMBER Yes, please me news, information, and offers from AARP and organizations that provide exclusive AARP discounts and benefits. Please mail form to: AARP 2008 Election Project Office of Voter Education 601 E Street, NW Washington, DC About the AARP 2008 Election Project: AARP has launched the nonpartisan 2008 Election Project, and with your help we can make sure our voices are heard in We don t endorse any specific candidate or party. We just care about issues and with your help we ll make sure candidates take clear stands on the issues so people can make choices that reflect what s important to them. Visit

8 AARP is nonpartisan and does not own a political action committee (PAC), endorse political candidates, or contribute money to political parties or political candidates campaigns. AARP educates the public about issues of concern to older Americans and their families through voter guides, issue workshops, and candidate forums. For more information contact: AARP Illinois 222 North LaSalle Street, Suite 710 Chicago, IL For more information about the candidates, visit: