Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Oregon Seniors for Hillary to Spearhead Outreach to Senior Community

As Oregonians begin to receive their ballots, the Clinton campaign announced a statewide effort, Oregon Seniors for Hillary Clinton, to reach out to older Oregonians and urge them to support Hillary for President.

"Senator Clinton has a social policy with depth and compassion and has made the needs of our rapidly growing elder population a priority in her campaign," says Dr. Jim Davis, Chair Oregon Seniors for Hillary. "Oregon is a great place to be highlighting these important issues, especially since Oregon has the model community-based long term care system for seniors and people with disabilities in the world."

The Oregon Seniors for Hillary Clinton efforts will include person-to-person outreach, a special event for older Oregonians, outreach to groups and individuals in the senior community, and spearheading a weekly phone bank to seniors preparing to fill out their primary ballots. The first seniors phone bank was held last Sunday, and "Senior Sundays" will continue through the end of the primary election.

"With life expectancy increasing by the day, it is critically important that we have policies in place that help older Oregonians remain independent as long as possible and ensure they have the care and protections they need when they need them," said Hillary Clinton. "I am very excited these well-respected Oregonians have joined my campaign and I look forward to working with them to reach out to other older Oregonians."

Oregon Seniors for Hillary will also provide older Oregonians with information on Hillary's record and policy proposals on senior issues.

Hillary is a longtime champion for older Americans. She fought the Bush Administration's efforts to privatize Social Security and will continue to fight any attempt to undermine the vital safety net. Hillary will use the bargaining power of the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices, and allow reimportation and expanded access to generic drugs to further curb skyrocketing costs.

As the Co-Chair of the Congressional Alzheimer's Caucus, she supports lifting the ban on stem cell research and increasing our investment in research into treatment and cures.

Hillary will support policies that allow more older Americans to live independently in their with home and community-based long term care, such as in-home services, assisted living adult foster homes and residential care facilities; she will improve access to respite care for those who need it; and she will crack down on crimes committed against the elderly, including identity theft and fraud in the long-term care market.

The Oregon campaign has appointed Dr. Jim Davis, a local professor, gerontologist and senior and disability advocate, to chair the Oregon Seniors for Hillary Clinton. For the past 35 years, Davis has represented many of the state's major senior advocacy organizations. For decades he has served as the Executive Director/Legislative Director for the Oregon State Council for Retired Citizens and the United Seniors of Oregon, both of which are state affiliates of the National Council on the Aging (NCOA) and the National Coalition for Consumer Organizations (NCCO).

He serves as National Chair for NCCO and as a member of the NCOA National Leadership Council. He also coordinates Save Oregon Seniors and serves on the board of directors for the Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans and the Oregon Consumer League. Davis served as Chair of Oregon Delegation to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging. He also chaired Seniors for Ron Wyden for Senate (1996), Oregon Seniors for Gore-Lieberman (2000) and Oregon Seniors for Kerry-Edwards (2004). He earned his masters in gerontology and administration and his doctorate in educational psychology and gerontology from the University of Oregon.

[Click here] to find more information on Hillary's proposals for seniors.