Seniors Will Converge on Washington to Oppose Privatization of Medicare; Their Message to Congress: Improve Rx Bills or Let Them Die

9/2/2003

From: Ilana Sabban of the Alliance for Retired Americans, 202-974-8264; e-mail: isabban@retiredamericans.org; During the conference (9/3 to 9/5) call the Hilton Press Office at 202-797-4833 or 4834. Web site: http://www.retiredamericans.org

News Advisory:

Hundreds of members of the Alliance for Retired Americans, which represents over 3 million union retirees and other older and retired Americans, will gather for the Alliance National Legislative Conference at the Hilton Washington & Towers, 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW, for two and a half days of political action, activism and planning. The conference will focus on efforts in Congress to privatize Medicare and the grossly inadequate prescription drug benefit being considered by Congressional conferees. The bills are a shameful attempt to protect private insurers who are more concerned with profits than with reducing the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs.

The Alliance disagrees with those who say any drug bill, no matter how bad, is better than no bill at all. As Congress returns from their August recess, the House-Senate conferees must fix the bills to provide a prescription drug benefit under Medicare that is affordable, universal, comprehensive and voluntary. The senior activists attending the Alliance's National Legislative Conference will be heard. They will rally in protest on Capitol Hill, and they will lobby their members of Congress.

During the conference, attendees will hear from national labor and community leaders, elected officials and political strategists to help participants educate, motivate and mobilize older Americans into a major force to influence the 2004 elections. Those scheduled to address the conference include:

-- Alliance members arrested while protesting the prescription drug bills

-- Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO); Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH); Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

-- John J. Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO

-- Linda Chavez-Thompson, executive vice president, AFL-CIO

-- Andy Stern, president, SEIU

-- Guy Molyneaux, Peter D. Hart Research Associates

-- Helen Thomas, former White House correspondent

Highlights of the conference include:

-- Rally and Lobby Day, Thursday, Sept. 4, 11 a.m., Upper Senate Park, Capitol Hill. Hundreds of senior activists will demand that Congress substantially improve the prescription drug bills.

-- Gala Banquet, Thursday, Sept. 4, 6:30 p.m., International Ballroom, featuring Helen Thomas, former White House correspondent and current syndicated columnist

The conference is open to press coverage. For more information, contact Ilana Sabban at the Hilton Press Office at 202-797-4833 or 4834, or visit http://www.retiredamericans.org.