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04/12/2010

Want OAA Funding Increases Next Year? Call Your Senators Today!

Ask Them to Sign on to the Lincoln-Stabenow Letter Requesting At Least A 12 Percent Increase in Older Americans Act Funding

Today, Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) circulated a letter to their colleagues requesting signatures in support of a request to Appropriations Subcommittee leaders to increase across-the-board Older Americans Act (OAA) funding by at least 12 percent in FY 2011.

(See links below to read the letter.)

The letter acknowledges the need for an investment in the OAA and mirrors n4a’s request of appropriators for FY 2011: at least a 12 percent increase in all line items in the OAA to offset years of stagnant funding and to address the pressures of population growth and inflation. The President’s recommended increases above 12 percent—in particular Title III B Supportive Services and Title III E National Family Caregiver Support Program—would still stand in this request and in n4a’s advocacy efforts. (n4a Appropriations Chart)

We need you to take action in THIS WEEK to urge your Senators to sign on to this letter to ensure that it receives the strong support needed for the Subcommittee to take this request seriously. Signatures are due by close of business on Thursday, April 15, so you need to advocate immediately with your Senators’ offices.

Action Requested:

** Contact both of your Senators and ask them to sign on to the letter circulated by Senators Lincoln and Stabenow. The deadline for signatures is Thursday, April 15. 
 
STEP 1: Call the DC office and ask for the staff member who handles Older Americans Act issues. You can reach them through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
STEP 2: Tell them about the Lincoln-Stabenow letter and offer to email them a link to the Dear Colleague letter and the appropriations letter if they have not already seen them.
STEP 3: Let them know exactly why you want the Senator to sign on to the Lincoln-Stabenow letter. Give local statistics that demonstrate the need for at least a 12 percent increase in OAA funding.

**Please report to n4a any interest you receive from your Senators or their staff in signing the letter—so that we can follow up as needed.

**Ask other advocates to do the same! Urge colleagues, advisory board members, volunteers and clients to make calls to their Senators, as well. We have a short window of opportunity—all signatures need to be on the letter by Thursday, April 15—so we need you and your colleagues to act fast!

Background:

In 2006, the OAA was reauthorized to better meet Congress’s vision of offering people greater choice, control and independence as they age by modernizing our country’s system of long-term care. Appropriate funding to accomplish these worthy goals has not followed, however. Instead, most OAA programs have effectively been cut and suffered erosion in capacity as federal funding has not kept pace with inflation (e.g., food and fuel costs) or recognized increasing demographic need.

Yet the need for OAA programs among older adults and caregivers cannot be greater during these difficult economic times. There are now more than 39 million Americans over the age of 65, or approximately 13 percent of the total U.S. population. As additional seniors and caregivers face financial troubles, more will come to need the bedrock programs created by the OAA.  Furthermore, investing in OAA programs will save taxpayer dollars by providing critical HCBS thereby reducing premature or costly Medicaid and Medicare expenditures for nursing home placement or acute health care resulting from poor nutrition and chronic health conditions.

The annual appropriations process that determines OAA funding in FY 2011 has just begun. This letter will be one of thousands sent to the Appropriations Committee’s leaders, asking for a particular funding level. To ensure that Senators Lincoln and Stabenow and their eventual co-signers are successful in their efforts to get the attention of the appropriators, we need to gather as many signatures on the letter as possible.

For more information, please contact Amy E. Gotwals or K.J. Hertz, n4a’s Public Policy and Legislative Affairs staff. 202-872-0888.