Continuing their public defense against cuts to entitlement programs, Social Security and Medicare, AARP CEO A. Barry Rand released a statement in response to the first meeting of Vice President Biden's Deficit Reduction Group.  He called on the members of the group not to subject these programs to arbitrary cuts in the efforts to address fiscal challenges.

The statement follows two announcements Thursday that launched a new advertising campaign and testimony to the Financial Services Committee's hearings on the budget to support the entitlement programs.  Included in the previous announcement was the video of the new commercial set to begin airing.

“As leaders continue their discussions, we remind them that at stake are the health and financial security of real people—not just figures on a federal balance sheet," Rand said.  "Ensuring that all Americans have access to Medicare’s guaranteed health benefits and the financial security promised by Social Security has been a hallmark of AARP’s advocacy from the beginning

"We encourage our elected leaders to remember that Social Security and Medicare provide critical lifelines for our members and millions of older Americans, and that any proposals should avoid harmful cuts to benefits that provide health and economic security for all Americans.”