The 60-Plus Association, a right-wing pro-Social Security privatization group that has been funded by pharmaceutical giants, will begin running misleading television attack ads against Congresswoman Giffords tomorrow.

Throughout the Medicare prescription drug benefit debate, the 60-Plus Association has lobbied against making prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. Now it is pouring millions into campaigns across the country. These ads attack members of Congress who want to protect Social Security from privatization plans that would gamble benefits in the stock market. The head of 60-Plus, Jim Martin, even called Social Security a “burden.” (Martin Op-Ed, The Washington Times, 8/1/01.)

The misleading ad that begins running tomorrow distorts Gabrielle’s record of standing up to protect Southern Arizona seniors. Gabrielle Giffords voted to make Medicare stronger. She voted to improve preventive care for seniors. She voted to make prescription drugs less expensive for seniors and to close the Medicare Part D doughnut hole. And she voted to extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund into the next decade.

“The Wall Street interests that want to privatize Social Security are spending even more money to support Jesse Kelly and his call to ‘privatize it,’” said Giffords for Congress campaign manager Rodd McLeod. “If Kelly really wants to protect Southern Arizona seniors, he should admit that he was wrong when he called for privatizing and eliminating Social Security.”

Here are other examples of the 60-Plus Association’s anti-senior agenda:

• Pfizer Bankrolled 60-Plus Campaign in Minnesota to Defeat Legislation that Would Provide Low Cost Drugs Under Medicare. In March 2002, the pharmaceutical industry, through a group called Consumer Alliance, spent approximately $520,000 in eight states in a telemarketing blitz to defeat legislation that would create lists of preferred, lower-cost drugs for Medicaid patients. In Minnesota, a similar campaign was run by the 60-Plus Association that received lobbying and organizational services from Bonner & Associates. Pfizer Inc. donated Bonner & Associates’ services to 60-Plus. (Associated Press, 3/28/02.)
• 60-Plus Opposed Drug Re-importation. In the summer of 2001, 60-Plus placed an ad in the Morning Call critical of legislation allowing wholesalers to reimport drugs to the United States. 60-Plus warned that consumers would lose protections against mishandled, mislabeled and counterfeit drugs, which would put “our seniors and the entire nation at risk.” (Morning Call, 7/11/02.)
• 60-Plus Supports Privatizing Social Security. The 60-Plus Association joined other conservative groups’ support of the President’s plan to privatize Social Security. In 2001, 60-Plus attended a meeting organized by Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform with then-Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill to discuss support for private accounts. In 2001, 60-Plus indicated it would spend more than $1 million on grassroots efforts to support private accounts during the 2002 election. On December 11, 2001, 60-Plus participated in a news conference sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform that supported the Bush Social Security Commission’s plan to privatize Social Security. Martin wrote in an op-ed piece, “Washington also needs to make major changes in Social Security, an antiquated relic of a bygone era. The changes wouldn’t affect current retirees and the 50-somethings who will retire in the near future. But major changes are needed for the sake of their children and grandchildren…So why not use part of the surplus to finance the transition to a new retirement system that would allow younger workers to invest some of their taxes?” (Americans for Tax Reform press advisory, 12/11/01; National Journal, 9/1/01; Martin op-ed, Washington Times, 3/14/01.)
• James Martin Criticized McCain During 2000 Presidential Campaign. During the 2000 elections, James Martin criticized presidential candidate John McCain for supporting campaign finance reform and for opposing a repeal of the estate tax. Additionally, Martin criticized McCain for saying Bush’s tax cut would put Social Security in jeopardy. Martin said, “Sen. John McCain calls his campaign bus the ‘Straight Talk Express.’ But after his false charges that Social Security will be hurt by Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s tax cut, I think he should rename his bus the ‘Double Talk Express’… When Mr. Bush unveiled his tax-cut plan late last year, I was impressed that he made it very clean that the $2 trillion in Social Security surpluses would be ‘locked away’ for future retirees, the same position that Republicans in Congress, including Mr. McCain, took.” (Martin letter to the editor, Washington Times, 2/18/00.)

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only military spouse in Congress. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our servicemen and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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