AARP expected to endorse House healthcare reform bill

AARP, the powerful national seniors' group, today is expected to express its support for the House Democratic healthcare reform bill, according to news reports Wednesday.

Officials close to the seniors' lobbying group leaked the story to the Associated Press Wednesday afternoon. The endorsement would lend significant support to President Obama and pro-reform members of Congress, since seniors are a large and reliable voting block, according to The Hill newspaper.

AARP has been a prominent player in the healthcare reform debate over the last several months, but has pointedly stopped short of officially endorsing any one plan. Its perceived approval of earlier forms of the healthcare legislation caused as many as 60,000 members to break ranks with the organization over the summer.