WASHINGTON—Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius addressed the crowd at the National Hispanic Council on Aging World Summit Wednesday saying that all Americans have the right to social security and healthcare when they grow old and retire.
Sebelius, who was the keynote speaker, said that organizations such as NHCOA’s work with Hispanics and older adults is more important than ever, and focuses on key issues within both communities, such as housing for seniors and economic security.
“For years to come the Hispanic population will help shape America,” Sebelius said.
Sebelius said that last year, the first of the baby boomers turned 65, and since that day about 11,000 Americans turn 65 each day. The expected growth is from 2.9 million older adults to 13 million by 2015.
While NHCOA’s president, Yanira Cruz, said the purpose of the summit was to raise awareness on the key issues that impact older adults and diverse populations across the country, she also implored all Hispanic-Americans to vote.“I know Latinos can instantly make an impact on our future,” said Cruz. “The first is to realize our potential as a voting block. Get everyone to the polls on Nov. 6.”
Cruz stressed the need for not only Latinos, but older adults as a key population, to vote with one goal in mind: Pick the candidate who will best take these issues seriously. The future for programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits depend on who wins the election.
Cruz said voting starts with civic engagement and that Hispanics need to develop their voices and leaders who can create awareness of the issues, who can take action and educate legislators at the local level.
The Latino vote leans in the direction of Barack Obama over Mitt Romney: 70 percent to 30 percent.
Cruz said that in 2010, there were more than 21 million Latino eligible voters and another half million become eligible to vote each year. Despite these numbers, Latinos vote at a lower rate even after accounting for a large non-citizen population.
“During the 2010 elections, Hispanic voter turnout among eligible voters was 31 percent compared to 49 percent for Non-Hispanic whites and 44 percent for African Americans,” said Cruz. “This election, let’s achieve our potential.”