A majority of voters (61 percent) age 45 and above are angry with their U.S. Senators for failing to pass a Medicare prescription drug plan, according to a new survey released by AARP. Eight-in-ten of the survey respondents said that it is important to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare this year.

With partisan divisions causing a Senate stalemate over a long-promised Medicare drug benefit, the AARP findings signal huge implications on the mid-term elections where older voters go to the polls in high percentages. Over a quarter (26 percent) of the survey respondents said they would vote against a candidate if they fail to pass a Medicare drug plan because the two parties could not compromise. The survey was conducted for AARP by ICR of Media, Pennsylvania, and was a national sample of 1,070 voters age 45 and older with a margin of error at plus or minus 2.5 percent.

AARP Director of Advocacy Chris Hansen explains, "The survey provides Senate incumbents with good news and bad. The good news is there still is time to pass a plan and provide older Americans with some desperately needed protection against high drug costs. The bad news is that voters expect something to be done this year and we're quickly running out of time."

Voters hope Senators can bridge their differences when they come back in September and pass a plan that both parties and those on Medicare can accept. Hansen said, "Nearly all senators can agree that a comprehensive Medicare drug benefit is needed and there is general agreement on how much we should spend. The August Congressional recess is a time to cool heels, listen to constituents, and work together on an acceptable compromise plan."

AARP Director of Grassroots and Elections Kevin Donnellan said, "There is no recess from high drug prices. The one thing that's hotter than an August afternoon is the voter anger over the Senate's failed promise to help seniors afford their prescription drugs. Throughout the recess, they will be urging their elected leaders to get the job done."

Donnellan added, "Whether it's Maine, Missouri, or Minnesota, this is a top issue for voters of all ages. When those on Medicare can't pay for the drugs they need, they go without their needed therapies or the expense falls on their family members."

AARP is calling on the Senate to work in a bipartisan way to provide a comprehensive plan this year that is universal and protects all beneficiaries from high drug costs. AARP is committed to working with the Senate, House, and the administration to enact a proposal that has real value for those on Medicare.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people 50 and over. It provides information and resources; advocates on legislative, consumer, and legal issues; assists members to serve their communities; and offers a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for its members. These benefits include AARP Webplace at http://www.aarp.org/, Modern Maturity and My Generation magazines, the monthly AARP Bulletin, and Segunda Juventud, a quarterly, bilingual newspaper. Active in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP celebrates the attitude that age is just a number and life is what you make it.

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