Report: AARP to endorse healthcare reform

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- The politically powerful AARP will endorse the U.S. House of Representatives' healthcare reform legislation, ABC News reported.

The 40 million-member seniors lobbying group is expected to announce its support publicly Thursday or Friday, ABC said.

"Big victory," one Democratic source told the U.S. network, in what many would call an understatement.

ABC quoted unnamed Democratic sources as saying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and others have been lobbying the group for weeks to try to persuade it to support the healthcare legislation, expected to cost more than $1 trillion.

AARP officials met Tuesday with Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, and took a proposed endorsement of the legislation back to their board of directors.

The group has walked a fine line on healthcare reform.

By September, 60,000 members had quit, reportedly over what they perceived to be the group's backing of Democratic Party-led healthcare reforms they feared could lead to cuts in Medicare funding.

At the time, such fears prompted a message from Barry Rand, AARP's chief executive officer, and its president, Jennie Chin Hansen.

"To be clear: AARP has not endorsed any comprehensive healthcare reform bill, but we are fighting for a solution that improves healthcare for our members," they wrote.