AARP Hawaii Volunteer State President Visits Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – AARP volunteers and staff from Hawaii and every other state in the nation visited Capitol Hill today to express opposition to the President’s proposed Social Security benefit cut known as Chained CPI and to support responsible solutions to strengthen Medicare for Hawaii residents.  Meeting with Sen. Brian Schatz, Sen. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and their staff, AARP Hawaii’s top volunteer urged our representatives to have a separate debate on Social Security and to back specific proposals that would strengthen Medicare and the health care system overall.

“Our families, friends, and neighbors want Washington to listen to them when it comes to Medicare and Social Security,” said AARP Hawaii State President Gerry Silva. “They’ve made their voices heard online, at community meetings and events all over Hawaii and today we’ve brought their message to Washington with the hope that we can go home and tell the people who live in our neighborhoods that Congress will strengthen these lifeline programs that matter so much to us.”

In addition to pushing for a broader retirement security debate on Social Security that is separate from ongoing budget negotiations, Silva and AARP Hawaii State Director Barbara Kim Stanton discussed embracing health care reforms that eliminate waste and improve care in order to drive positive change throughout the entire health care system and bring down health care costs for everyone, including in Medicare.

By taking action on items that include reducing waste and inefficiency, improving care coordination, and reforming Medicare’s payment incentives to doctors and hospitals in Hawaii for providing good care, Medicare can remain strong into the future.

AARP Hawaii volunteers and staff will continue to oppose harmful cuts and push for responsible change to strengthen Medicare and Social Security when they return home from Washington. For more on specific Medicare solutions AARP supports visit our Medicare solutions fact sheet.

AARP is a non-profit, nonpartisan membership organization for people 50+ with 148,000 members in Hawaii. We fight on issues that matter to Hawaii’s families – including access to affordable, quality health care for all generations.