Tom Kean Jr. backed by group that wants to privatize Medicare

Congressman Tom Kean Jr. is considered the most vulnerable Republican incumbent but his campaign is touting an endorsement from a group that wants to cut Medicare and privatize Social Security.

The 60 Plus Association, which was created with seed money from conservative megadonors Charles and David Koch in 1992 as a far-right alternative to the AARP, claims to represent the interests of American retirees.

It brags that it is “often viewed as the conservative alternative to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).”

It is run by James L. Martin, a one-time journalist and former Republican operative who was chief of staff to the late Republican Sen. Edward J. Gurney of Florida in the late 1960s.

Martin also helped to organize and direct several advocacy groups, including the National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC), which pioneered independent spending on attack ads and famously claimed credit for defeating several liberal Democratic senators in the 1980 elections.

In 1997, the 60 Plus Association boasted that it was “the first national senior citizens group to endorse privatization of the Social Security program.”

More recently, it has backed efforts to turn Medicare into a voucher system.

The 60 Plus Association previously gave New Jersey Representative Tom Kean Jr. its “Guardian of Seniors’ Rights” award, but the group’s broader policy goals—such as the privatization of Medicare and Social Security—have drawn heavy scrutiny and political criticism from opponents during election cycles.

In 2011, the 60 Plus Association admitted that it aimed to phase out Medicare for future generations.

Health policy experts warn that these changes could force seniors to spend more out of pocket for health care and imperil the long-term solvency of both programs. The 60 Plus Association acknowledged in 2011 that its goal was to gradually phase out Medicare for future generations.

California Rep. Kevin Kiley, who caucuses with House Republicans, accepted awards from the 60 Plus Association in 2025 and 2026. The award, which recognizes lawmakers as “Guardians of Senior Citizens,” is essentially a campaign endorsement. On both occasions, Kiley posed for photos with 60 Plus Association President Saul Anuzis.

Other recipients this year were Iowa Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, Michigan Reps. Bill Huizenga and Tom Barrett, New York Rep. Mike Lawler, and Pennsylvania Reps. Ryan Mackenzie and Scott Perry.

Past recipients include New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr., Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, and Texas Rep. Monica De La Cruz.

All of these Republicans supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), which will impose a $1 trillion cut to Medicaid over the next decade.

Virginia Rep. Rob Wittman received the award in 2025. In June, Wittman was caught faking a phone call to avoid answering a reporter’s questions about Republican proposals to cut Social Security and Medicare.

The 60 Plus Association has also made several social media posts recognizing the birthdays of various Republican lawmakers, including Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans, California Rep. David Valadao, Florida Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Maria Elvira Salazar, Minnesota Rep. Brad Finstad, Ohio Reps. Mike Turner and Mike Carey, Pennsylvania Rep. Rob Bresnahan, and Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil.

Anuzis has also advocated for repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has included all of these lawmakers on its list of most vulnerable incumbents facing reelection in 2026. All of these Republicans supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), which will impose a $1 trillion cut to Medicaid over the next decade.

“Slashing Medicaid, cutting the ACA tax credits, and shutting down rural hospitals was just the warm-up act for House Republicans’ true mission: ending Medicare and Social Security as we know it,” said DCCC spokesperson Liam Buckley. “They’re beholden to their dark-money backers, and they can’t be trusted in November.”