AARP Upset Over Stimulus Package

According to Yahoo News, the AARP is speaking out against Congress’ plans for an economic stimulus package. The plan could give individual taxpayers as much as $600 in rebates, and an additional $300 per qualifying child. The rebates would phase out gradually for individuals whose adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 and for couples with incomes above $150,000.

However, the package would exclude any one who earns less than $3,000 from earned income. Therefore about 20 million senior citizens living off Social Security would not be eligible. "Less than half of all Americans 65 and older would get it," claims AARP spokesman Jim Dau.

President Bush would like to push the plan through ASAP. "I strongly believe it would be a mistake to delay or derail this bill," Bush said. "I understand the desire to add provisions from both the right and the left," he noted. President Bush added that doing so would be in error and would delay the purchasing power boost the stimulus package is designed to create to confront a feared impending recession.