[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 29696]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 H.R. 1 CONFERENCE REPORT AND THE AARP

  (Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my profound 
disappointment with the squandered opportunity we have right now, an 
opportunity to provide our seniors with the prescription drug coverage 
they need and they deserve.
  But I am just as concerned about the decision made by AARP, the 
American Association of Retired People, to endorse these misguided 
policies. I have long been proud of my membership in AARP, but now they 
have sold out seniors. Now I understand why AARP no longer stands for 
American Association of Retired People. Perhaps they would like to be 
known as the American Association of the Republican Party. They no 
longer represent retirees. They are more concerned about the interests 
of large drug companies.
  I want no part of an organization that is willing to sacrifice its 
principles for short-term political gain or favors from the majority 
party, and neither do more than 65 of my colleagues. Today we will 
surrender our AARP membership, and I urge all of my colleagues who 
truly care about the needs of seniors to do the same.

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