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Articles by John Hishta
Older Voters Could Decide the Battle for Congress
With Election Day just a few weeks away, AARP’s latest poll shows what matters to voters 50-plus in 43 competitive congressional districts. In a midterm election, you pay close attention to the people most likely to show up. Our survey, conducted October 1-5, by a bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research, found that 83 percent of voters age 50-plus were extremely motivated to vote in November, compared to just 66 percent of voters under 50.
Affordability, Social Security Top Issues for Midterm Voters
If you want to understand what’s shaping the midterm elections in November, start with voters age 50 and older. They are highly motivated, they make up a substantial share of the country’s swing vote, and they are focused on issues that affect their everyday lives, like affordability and Social Security. There’s no better state that exemplifies this than Alaska, where one of the most compelling Senate races is taking shape in the battle for control of the Senate.
Michigan’s 50-Plus Voters Have a Message for Candidates: Earn Our Vote
Michigan is once again one of the most closely watched battleground states in the country. And if candidates want to know who could ultimately decide some of the state’s closest races this November, they should pay close attention to voters age 50 and older. New AARP polling shows these voters are engaged, motivated and ready to make their voices heard.
Older Voters Will Shape Georgia's Election, New AARP Poll Finds
Original Article Posted By: 4250Luis, 7/29/2026 5:52:21 AM A new AARP survey finds that Georgia voters 50 and older are poised to play a decisive role in this November's closely watched governor and Senate races, reinforcing why AARP is investing in a bipartisan polling series focused on the issues that matter most to older Americans.
Older Voters Will Shape Georgia’s Election, New AARP Poll Finds
A new AARP survey finds that Georgia voters 50 and older are poised to play a decisive role in this November’s closely watched governor and Senate races, reinforcing why AARP is investing in a bipartisan polling series focused on the issues that matter most to older Americans. Conducted by the bipartisan polling firms of Fabrizio Ward (Republican) and Impact Research (Democrat), the Georgia survey is the second release in AARP’s 2025 battleground polling.
AARP Is Working to Educate Candidates and Voters This Election Year
A lot is on the line for older Americans in this year’s midterm elections. Lawmakers elected this year will help shape the debate and ultimately make decisions on whether Social Security remains strong for today’s retirees and future generations, whether family caregivers get more help, and other issues that affect the pocketbooks of older Americans. AARP never has and never will endorse candidates for public office, nor do we ever make contributions to individual campaigns or political parties.
Social Security Is Earned—and Washington Must Protect It
For millions of Americans, Social Security isn’t just another Washington line item, debated in congressional conference rooms. It’s the money that helps keep the lights on. It pays for groceries, prescriptions, gas in the car, and maybe a grandkid’s birthday present. It’s something Americans earned through a lifetime of work. That’s why Social Security matters so deeply—not just to retirees, but to families across the country who understand what’s at stake.
Criminals Are Stealing Billions From America's Seniors. AARP Is Fighting Back.
Original Article Posted By: Mercedes44, 4/17/2026 3:54:07 PM One of the big problems facing our country right now isn't a partisan issue. It's a crime. And America's seniors are increasingly the targets. Every day, scammers-often operating through massive, international networks-are stealing the life savings of older Americans who have worked hard, played by the rules, and saved responsibly for retirement. These are not harmless scams or isolated incidents.
Criminals Are Stealing Billions From America’s Seniors. AARP Is Fighting Back.
One of the big problems facing our country right now isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a crime. And America’s seniors are increasingly the targets. Every day, scammers—often operating through massive, international networks—are stealing the life savings of older Americans who have worked hard, played by the rules, and saved responsibly for retirement. These are not harmless scams or isolated incidents. It’s organized theft on a scale that should concern every American who believes in law and order.
Now is the time to strengthen Social Security
For 90 years, hardworking Americans have paid into Social Security with the promise that it will be there when they need it. With every paycheck, every shift, and every year on the job, they earned it. Today, more than 69 million Americans count on those monthly payments to help cover the basics, like groceries, bills, and keeping up with the cost of living.
Reader's View: AARP fights for lower prescription-drug costs
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advocating for America's 100 million people aged 50-plus, including those residing in Minnesota. The July 1 Local View column in the News Tribune, “ Klobuchar owes Minnesota seniors visible actions on health reforms ,” included a number of questionable statements and failed to disclose that the writer’s organization, American Commitment, receives s ubstantial funding from the pharmaceutical lobby.
AARP stands against efforts to undermine prescription drug reform
Big drug companies have been exploiting Americans through excessive drug pricing for years. This burden often forces individuals to choose between purchasing essential medicines or covering their living expenses, a wholly unacceptable proposition. It’s overdue for these companies to stop using us as piggy banks by charging the highest drug prices globally. Just last year, legislation was signed into law that will enable Medicare to negotiate lower prices on expensive medications.
OPINION: Recent prescription drug reforms are a win for American seniors
For decades, big drug companies have hiked their prices on life-saving prescription drugs to line their pockets, while America’s seniors have paid the price. Last year, Americans finally received long-awaited relief as Congress passed vital prescription drug reform, after years of being exploited by the drug manufacturers.
AARP is an independent, nonpartisan advocate for Virginia’s seniors
By John Hishta Jon Decker’s recent piece, “AARP Virginia is advocating against the interests of seniors,” reads like all the other opinions that big drug companies and their front groups recycle. American Commitment claims to speak for older Americans, but they are funded by the pharmaceutical lobby to protect their profits. But thanks to historic prescription drug reform, we are fighting back against pharmaceutical companies’ price-gouging tactics.
Inflation Reduction Act will have big impact for seniors, despite what Big Pharma says
This opinion piece was submitted by John Hishta, AARP's senior vice president of campaigns. Re: "Inflation Reduction Act a dead end for seniors. Why did AARP and Cortez Masto support it?," Sept. 16: Jon Decker’s argument reads like all the other opinions that Big Pharma and its enablers recycle. American Commitment claims to speak for older Americans, but they are funded directly by Big Pharma.
AARP never endorses or gives money to candidates. Ever.
With the nation focused on the up-coming elections, we are often asked what role AARP plays. It’s simple: We work to make sure that your voice is heard and that your vote counts. AARP doesn’t endorse or give money to political candidates, parties or campaigns. We do not work with candidates or campaigns to use our name in ads or other campaign efforts. Ever. When AARP’s name is misused by a campaign, we ask that they take it down.
Letter: Entering the new year with trepidation
A new year is just a point in time, a way to demarcate the way we recognize the passing of time in our lives. It has no special meaning or relevance beyond that. It is the way we divide our lives into little chunks of time to which we can relate, so here we are beginning another segment of our story. In the past I have usually looked forward to these breaks in time to begin again on resolutions to do a better job at work, at home, on projects left undone or personal goals that remain unmet.
Letter: Where are the conservative voices?
I have enjoyed the recent back and forth on the letter to the editor pages starting with Fuller Sheldon’s “ Five reasons I won’t subscribing to The Forum ” on December 9th along with Alan Davis’s response on December 13th. While it is easy to get caught up in name calling and disagreements over issues, I think we are missing the main point in the conversation which is that a major portion of our population feels that their viewpoints are being tossed aside.
Letter: Now that's North Dakota nice
By J. Fay Eris-Gall January 05, 2022 03:03 PM To the wonderful person that got me unstuck in the 800 block of Ninth Street South, thank you very much. Because of your act of kindness, I was still on time for my job interview, and got the job. This means the world to my family. Thank you again for starting 2022 on a positive note! J. Fay Eris-Gall lives in Fargo. This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
Letter: Recent AARP hit piece one of many lodged by Big Pharma
The op-ed, “AARP has a conflict of interest when it comes to drug pricing legislation,” reads like all the other opinions that Big Pharma and its enablers recycle. If anyone has a conflict, it is astroturf groups like Patients Rising, claiming to speak for patients but cozying up to Big Pharma. For decades, millions of seniors across our country have been forced to pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.
Letter: Much ado about nothing on Jan. 6
On January 6th, 2021, one year ago this Thursday, nothing significant happened. Does it sound like I’m being very dismissive of the Capitol riot? It should, because I am. It’s commonly described as an “insurrection” or a “coup d’etat;” President Joe Biden called it “the worst attack on our democracy since the civil war.” Multiple media pundits even called it worse than 9/11. All of this is a crock of nonsense that defies reality. Protestors disrupted a vote; that’s what happened.
Medicines only work if patients can afford them
The Dec. 30 op-ed, “AARP has a conflict of interest when it comes to drug pricing legislation,” reads like all the other opinions that Big Pharma and its enablers recycle. If anyone has a conflict, it is astroturf groups like Patients Rising, claiming to speak for patients but cozying up to Big Pharma. For decades, millions of seniors across our country have been forced to pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.
Responding to ‘United HealthCare focuses on record profits’
John Hishta Gil Ziffer’s opinion piece questioning AARP’s motives, “United HealthCare focuses on record profits” reads like all the other opinion pieces that the pharmaceutical industry and its enablers recycle in newspapers. Let’s be clear: AARP is a nonprofit advocacy group working vigorously to protect our members, all seniors and all Floridians against high drug prices – and when there’s a vaccine or a treatment for coronavirus, we’ll keep at it.
Coronavirus and the 2020 Presidential Election
Joe Raedle/Getty Images En español | The coronavirus has put large parts of our lives on hold, but there’s one event it won’t delay. On Nov. 3, about 230 million Americans will be eligible to vote in what has been predicted to be the highest-turnout election in decades. “More than anything, it’s important that our democratic institutions continue,” says John Hishta, AARP’s senior vice president for campaigns.
President Trump Vows to Reduce Prescription Drug Costs
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Trump delivered his first speech to Congress. In his speech to a joint session of Congress last night, President Donald Trump put forward a broad range of ideas on what he hopes to accomplish in the weeks and months ahead. But the single sentence that jumped out at me was his vow to crack down on the high prices drug companies charge for their products.
Protect Medicare
This month, I participated in a tele-town hall — a real-time phone conversation with thousands of AARP members and volunteers around the country. The level of energy and passion that I heard encouraged me. The efforts of state offices are clearly paying off: Since we began our campaign to protect Medicare just about a month ago, we’ve delivered almost 270,000 signatures to Congress (in the form of letters and petitions) and about 220,000 to President Trump.
We Stand on Principle, Not Politics
Given our current political climate, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by how different people react to that clip in different ways. Some viewers have told us that they see the ad as an endorsement of President Trump. Others suggest that we’re criticizing him. In fact, we’re doing neither. We’re simply reminding you — and members of Congress — what our president said. Here’s what you should know about AARP: We are a nonpartisan organization.
We Stand on Principle, Not Politics
Given our current political climate, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by how different people react to that clip in different ways. Some viewers have told us that they see the ad as an endorsement of President Trump. Others suggest that we’re criticizing him. In fact, we’re doing neither. We’re simply reminding you — and members of Congress — what our president said. Here’s what you should know about AARP: We are a nonpartisan organization.
In Honor of My Grandmother … and Future Generations
Social Security made it possible for her to chip in with household expenses. And that meant the world to her. Those benefits — earned by my grandfather during his many years working as a coal miner — gave her dignity and a sense of pride. My grandmother’s story reminds me how important it is to update this great program, so it can keep its promise for future generations. But that can happen only with leadership from the top. Our work is not finished. And Nov. 8 is almost here.
Social Security Debate Question Framed Incorrectly
What we heard tonight is a start, but we know voters want to hear more. A recent AARP battleground poll of women 50-plus found only 34 percent have heard about Clinton’s plan and 20 percent have heard about Trump’s. It was a mistake to frame the issue in the context of a deficit Social Security didn’t cause. That’s no way to help voters get the answers they deserve. It also didn’t help that the question came with less than five minutes left in the debate.
Two Strikes for Social Security
Now, as the 2016 presidential campaign goes into its final weeks, millions of Americans are still waiting for answers. And you can bet this issue is going to end up on the next president’s desk. If our leaders don’t commit to act, future retirees could lose up to $10,000 per year. But the candidates have largely steered clear of Social Security. Yes, they’ve put out some information, and that’s good. But most of it’s way too general.
You Can Help Social Security Be Part of the Next Debate
That’s why we’re launching a new tool to grab the moderators’ attention and urge them to press the candidates on Social Security. It’s called Thunderclap, and it enables thousands of people to send the same message at the same time. Already more than 4,000 people have used it to urge the next moderators, CNN’s Anderson Cooper and ABC’s Martha Raddatz, to ask the candidates a question about Social Security at the town hall. And we’re just getting started.
When It Comes to Social Security, the Debate Was a ‘Nothingburger’
They dropped the ball. And voters were the losers. AARP launched Take a Stand to press the candidates to lead on Social Security and tell voters how they’ll keep it strong for future generations. If our leaders don’t commit to act, future retirees could lose up to $10,000 per year. That’s why we need the candidates to lead on Social Security — not just for today’s retirees but for people who are going to need it one day.
Our Only Chance to Get Answers on Social Security
Regardless of party affiliation, the most unifying principle in the room was “the longer our leaders wait to act on Social Security, the more challenging it becomes.” The three presidential debates may be our only chance to find out if the candidates can lead on Social Security and give us real answers about how they’ll keep it strong. And it’s all in the hands of the moderators.
Social Security Celebrates 81 Years!
Today, Social Security turns 81 years old. That’s a birthday we celebrate with pride — and I hope you take a minute to sign our birthday card! But it’s also a timely reminder that action is needed. If our leaders fail to update Social Security, future retirees could face benefit cuts of nearly 25 percent. Think about that! A cut that large would send shock waves around the country. It would hurt millions of people and push many into poverty.
Social Security Celebrates 81 Years!
Today, Social Security turns 81 years old. That’s a birthday we celebrate with pride – and I hope you take a minute to sign our birthday card! But it’s also a timely reminder that action is needed. If our leaders fail to update Social Security, future retirees could face benefit cuts of nearly 25 percent. Think about that! A cut that large would send shock waves around the country. It would hurt millions of people and push many into poverty.
Renewing Our Determination to Update Social Security
People in Washington may hem and haw about Social Security being the third rail of politics. But people outside of Washington want to get something done. That’s why we traveled to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where we had many conversations about Social Security with delegates, elected officials and political operatives over the last few days.
AARP Opens Field Offices in Seven States
During the past week, I was excited to see our Take a Stand field offices in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia host inaugural activities to officially kick off their efforts to get candidates to take a stand on Social Security during this high-profile election season.
AARP Opens Field Offices in Seven States
AARP Opens Field Offices in Seven States During the past week, I was excited to see our Take A Stand field offices in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia host inaugural activities to officially kick off their efforts to get candidates to take a stand on Social Security during this high-profile election season.
AARP Opens Field Offices in Seven States
AARP Opens Field Offices in Seven States During the past week, I was excited to see our Take a Stand field offices in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia host inaugural activities to officially kick off their efforts to get candidates to take a stand on Social Security during this high-profile election season.
Dear Washington Post, Add Social Security to Your Voter Guide
That’s why our Take a Stand campaign is mobilizing thousands of volunteers in the battleground states to press the candidates to level with voters and give them real answers about their Social Security plans. But we can’t do it alone. The Post Voters Guide can help readers understand how Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are prepared to treat this critical program. It can clarify who is stepping up and showing leadership — and who isn’t.
You Did It! CNN Presses Candidates on Social Security
Your voices were heard. Last night, CNN Republican debate moderator Jake Tapper responded to the 140,000 AARP members who signed our petition and others who tweeted suggested questions by asking every candidate about their plan for the future of Social Security. Last week, AARP’s Take a Stand campaign delivered petitions to Fox News and CNN urging the networks to ask the candidates a question about how they would update Social Security for future generations.
Donald Trump Last Presidential Hopeful Without Social Security Plan
Click on the image to view full size. It’s time to set the record straight on Donald Trump and . The leading Republican candidate has yet to come out with a real plan, and the clock is ticking. Recently on ABC’s “This Week”, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie tried to defend Trump and direct attention elsewhere: “No one else has a plan on Social Security,” Christie claimed. “So why aren't we testing all these other candidates, as well?...” With all due respect, Christie’s remarks were misleading.
Over 120,000 Americans Sign Petitions on Social Security
Taking a stand on Social Security is a true test of presidential leadership. Voters have told us and the presidential candidates they want Social Security to be a top priority for Congress and the next administration.
Voters Have Right to Know Where Candidates Stand
En español | I will never forget attending my first political debate. It was in Philadelphia, way back in the 1980s, and the two major candidates for vice president were squaring off. I was a college Republican attending Penn State University and was lucky to get a seat. While I don’t remember much of what was said, I recall it was a real exchange of ideas. Yes, there were personal attacks and some personal questions.
AARP Volunteers Continue to Press Candidates on Social Security
At Take a Stand, we call the tactic “bird-dogging.” And I believe it’s a major reason is going to become a much bigger issue in the 2016 presidential campaign. It works like this: At town halls and other political get-togethers in the early presidential contests, AARP volunteers are pressing each candidate on how they plan to keep Social Security strong for future generations.
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