Volunteers today on Capitol Hill, at Ohio Statehouse

Mike Barnhart, who volunteers as state president for AARP Ohio, and Jane Taylor, who leads staff and volunteers as state director, are meeting today in Washington, D.C., with both of Ohio’s U.S. Senators – Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman – and Speaker of the House, U.S. Rep. John Boehner of West Chester, along with five other members of Congress representing Ohioans.

Barnhart and Taylor are joining volunteers from every other state in the nation to visit Capitol Hill today to express opposition to the proposed Social Security benefit cut known as Chained CPI and to support responsible solutions to strengthen Medicare. In today’s meetings, they will urge 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.

Meanwhile, this afternoon at the Ohio Statehouse, AARP volunteers from across the state are sponsoring an ice cream social for members of the Ohio General Assembly and their staff. They will be listening to what lawmakers have to say about the state budget now being debated in conference committee, and urging them to extend health coverage to Ohioans who work in low-wage jobs without health insurance.

“Today on Capitol Hill and in the state capital, AARP volunteers will be advocating on issues that matter to our members and their families,” Barnhart said.

In addition to pushing for a broader retirement security debate on Social Security that is separate from ongoing budget negotiations, Barnhart and Taylor also will discuss 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 Ohio doctors and hospitals for providing good care, Medicare can remain strong into the future, Barnhart notes.

AARP Ohio 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 and Columbus. For more on specific Medicare solutions AARP supports visit our Medicare solutions fact sheet.

“We are committed to make things better for all Ohioans, taking our members’ messages to the halls of Congress and the statehouse, urging lawmakers to strengthen these lifeline programs that matter so much to us,” Barnhart said.