The Older Americans Act

Floor Speech

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for 5 minutes.

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, May is Older Americans Month, and today I rise to call attention to historic legislation that has for decades served as a lifeline to our country's seniors.

The Older Americans Act is responsible for critical services, like housing, nutrition, and employment assistance. For many seniors, the Older Americans Act is responsible for the delivery of their only warm meal of the day and their only social interaction.

The legislation expired in 2011; and today I am speaking in support of H.R. 4122, the bill I introduced with the gentleman from Texas, Congressman Rubén Hinojosa, to reauthorize the Older Americans Act.

Congress first passed the Older Americans Act in 1965 as one of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs. Its goal is to ensure that our seniors age with dignity, maintain independence for as long as possible, and do not grow old in poverty.

Over the years, the OAA has been reauthorized and improved upon to meet the needs of the changing population. As Americans live longer, our policy needs to keep pace.

Our legislation includes stronger elder abuse protections, modernized senior centers, improved transportation services, and other programs that promote seniors' independence.

One of the titles in the Older Americans Act provides important employment support to the country's seniors, something they need now more than ever. The Senior Community Service Employment Program provides job training and job placement for low-income seniors. Many of the people who use this important program were laid off during the recession, only to see their position disappear altogether during the recovery. Now they find that they lack the necessary skills to fill the new jobs that have been created, and they must compete with a younger, inexperienced workforce willing to accept wages lower than their earning potential.

This important program, known as SCSEP, provides specialized training for these mature workers. By partnering with local nonprofits and State agencies, SCSEP helps older Americans develop new skills and then pairs them with employers.

I recently met with several SCSEP participants at the Forest Grove, Oregon, senior center in my district, and I heard firsthand how the program helps people get back on their feet. Programs like this are exactly what many of the long-term unemployed need. And while we continue to debate extending the emergency unemployment program, SCSEP is addressing the problem head-on for many of our constituents by offering a solution that is good for employees, businesses, and the economy as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, the Older Americans Act was developed so our country's seniors could age with dignity. Today it continues to provide support to older Americans who are eager to work and live independent lives as they age. The Senate has advanced its own bipartisan Older Americans Act bill, and I am hopeful my colleagues will follow suit and support H.R. 4122.

Source