Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I have fought for years to protect our Nation's seniors from abuse and exploitation--initially, in my capacity as former chairman of the Senate Aging Committee and more recently as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Last Wednesday was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, but because the Democrats were unfortunately blocking the business of the American people on the Senate floor, I was unable to give this statement, so I want to take this opportunity today to express my renewed commitment to ending the abuse and exploitation of older Americans. We don't know the full extent and scope of the problem of elder abuse, mainly due to underreporting. Many older Americans don't report instances of elder abuse due to embarrassment, a refusal to acknowledge that they were victimized, or reliance on the perpetrator as their caretaker. But we do know that serious cases of abuse or exploitation of older Americans seem to be increasing and that it can take several forms: financial, physical, and emotional. Financial exploitation is the most widespread form of elder abuse, costing seniors in the U.S. between an estimated $2.9 and $36 billion annually. In fact, it is been called ``the crime of the 21st century.'' In my home State of Iowa, for example, so-called grandparent scams are becoming more prevalent.…”