House Republicans seek IRS probe of AARP
March 30, 2011 

WASHINGTON (AP) — AARP lobbied for the new health care law and now it stands to profit, Republican lawmakers charged Wednesday as they called for the IRS to investigate whether the powerful interest group deserves to keep its federal tax exemption.

Three veteran GOP representatives released a report that estimates the seniors lobby could make an additional $1 billion over 10 years on health insurance plans whose sales are expected to pick up under the new law. They also questioned seven-figure compensation for some AARP executives.

“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.

The three 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.

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AARP Stands to Get $1 Billion From Health Law It Backed,
Republicans Say
By Drew Armstrong – Mar 30, 2011

Seniors lobbying group AARP stands to make as much as $1 billion in the next decade from the health-care law it supported last year, U.S. House Republicans said.

The nonprofit organization representing people in the U.S. aged 50 and older will profit from the sale of its endorsed Medicare insurance products, a group of Republicans on the House Ways and Means committee said in a press conference today discussing a report they issued on the topic.

“AARP operates in direct opposition to the needs of their senior membership,” said Representative Wally Herger, a California Republican who chairs the House Ways and Means Health subcommittee. “We think they ought to know what we’ve uncovered.”

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