House Republicans Seek IRS Probe of AARP

AARP lobbied for the new health care reform law, and according to three GOP representatives, the group could make an extra $1 billion over the next decade because of it.

The AP reports:

Based on the available evidence, substantial questions remain about whether AARP should maintain its tax-exempt status," said the report, released by Reps. Wally Herger of California, Charles Boustany of Louisiana and Dave Reichert of Washington.

AARP said profit had nothing to do with its support for President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, which expands coverage to nearly all Americans, a goal that the organization has long pursued.

"Our decision to support health care reform was in no way, shape or form influenced by revenue considerations," said spokesman Jim Dau. Polls show that seniors are more likely to oppose the new law than younger people, partly because the coverage for the uninsured will be financed by slowing the growth of Medicare spending.

The three Republican lawmakers are members of the influential Ways and Means Committee, which writes tax law. Boustany chairs the oversight subcommittee, and Herger is in charge of the health panel responsible for Medicare.

"We believe AARP operates in direct opposition to their senior membership," Herger said at a Capitol Hill press conference.

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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.