April 21, 2021 Advocacy Alert



Last Call on House Letter to Double OAA Title III Programs!

CALL Your Representatives TODAY and Urge
Them to Sign On to FY 2022 Funding Letter


April 21, 2021

Time is running out for you to call the Representatives serving your PSA to urge them to sign on to a request from their peers to double Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III programs and services by Friday’s deadline!
 
As our past two Advocacy Alerts reported, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) is circulating a letter requesting House Appropriations Labor/HHS/Education Subcommittee leaders to double FY 2022 funding for Title III of the Older Americans Act (OAA), which is in line with n4a’s own asks. Showcasing bipartisan support for the role AAAs play in helping enable older adults to age independently at home, Congresswoman Bonamici is joined by Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Ted Deutch (D-FL) and John Katko (R-NY) in rallying their colleagues to endorse this effort.
 
Emergency funds provided immediate relief to the Aging Network as it served surging numbers of older adults in need throughout the pandemic—but it’s now time to address the critical funding necessary to sustain these essential services for the long term. Your advocacy is vital to the FY 2022 annual appropriations process. This letter is just one of the thousands being sent to Appropriations Committee leaders asking for particular funding levels for thousands of federal discretionary programs. Flood gates are open, needs are high and requests are coming in from across the country. 
 
That’s why we need you to contact your Representative NOW and drive signatures to this critical Dear Colleague letter! The window is closing, so make your calls today so that your Member can sign on by Friday’s deadline.
 
The letter specifically asks for significantly increased funding for OAA Title III B Supportive Services, Title III C Nutrition, Title III D Evidence-Based Health Promotion and Prevention Programs and Title III E National Family Caregiver Support Program. The necessary investments recommended in this letter will ensure your agency can continue to provide older adults and their caregivers critical access to services past the pandemic while accommodating the demographic growth of an aging America.
 
Read the bipartisan Bonamici-Stefanik OAA Title III sign-on letter.

Call your Representatives and ask them to sign on to the letter circulated by Reps. Bonamici, Stefanik, Deutch and Katko on OAA funding. Even if you know enough about your Member’s voting history to understand your request is not an easy one, please do this outreach anyway. It’s vital that all Representatives understand how critical OAA funding is to older adults and caregivers!
 
STEP 1: Call the DC office and ask for the staff member who handles Older Americans Act or appropriations issues. You can reach them through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 or find the number on your Member’s website.
 
STEP 2: Tell them about the bipartisan Bonamici-Stefanik OAA Dear Colleague letter. Offer to email them a link to the Bonamici-Stefanik letter if they have not seen it.
 
STEP 3: Let them know exactly why your Member should sign on to the OAA letter. Give local statistics that demonstrate the need for increased funding. Remind them that the deadline for signatures is Friday, April 23.

Ask other advocates to do the same! Urge colleagues, advisory board members, volunteers and clients to make calls to their Representatives, as well. We have a very short window of opportunity, so we need you and your colleagues to act fast on this particular request!

 
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If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or n4a’s policy positions, please contact Monica Billger at mbillger@n4a.org and Amy Gotwals at agotwals@n4a.org.


USAging Fact: Learn about your peers’ work—and how it can fit into your agency’s goals! The AIA Awards recognizes successful and innovative programs that USAging members have developed to serve older adults. Get inspiration from our 2023 winners!