If you make only one call to your senator, make it this one.

[flamin lib]

Please keep this kicked and/or rec'd for max exposure.

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National Association of Area Agencies on Aging

October 18, 2007

If You Make One Call This Year to Your U.S. Senators, This is the Call...

Senators Plan to Offer A Floor Amendment to Boost Funding for Older Americans
Act Programs; Contact Your Senators to Urge Their Support

Yesterday, the Senate began consideration of the Labor, HHS, Education and
Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) appropriations bill (H.R. 3043) that funds Older
Americans Act (OAA) programs, the Social Services Block Grant, the Community
Services Block Grant and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, as well
as other critical human services programs.

www.n4a.org has been working with Senate sponsors to develop a floor amendment strategy
to build on OAA increases passed earlier this year by the Senate Appropriations
Committee. We now understand that Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Blanche
Lincoln (D-AR), who sponsored the request for at least a 10 percent increase
for all Older Americans Act programs in May, will be offering a floor amendment
to the Labor/HHS bill to boost funding for certain OAA programs. The amendment
would:
* Increase supportive services and centers by $18.4 million to allow local
programs to keep pace with projected growth in the 60 and over population and
inflation in 2008;
* Provide $11.7 million in additional funding for the congregate and
home-delivered nutrition programs to help programs keep pace with increased gas
and food prices; and
* Increase the National Family Caregiver Support Program by $10.3 million to
fund the program at the authorized amount for 2008 under the Older Americans Act
Amendments of 2006.

Action Steps to Take

1) Call the DC offices of your Senators and ask them to support the amendment.
To find contact information for their offices, visit their web sites, which you
can find at: http://www.senate.gov.

You can also be connected to their offices through the Capitol Switchboard by
dialing 202-224-3121. It is crucial that Senate offices hear from a large
number of their aging network constituents about this amendment for it to be
successful.

2) Share this alert with others and ask them to do the same! Urge colleagues,
advisory board members, volunteers and clients to make calls to both of your
state's Senators.

3) Share any feedback you receive with n4a policy staff ([e-mail]).

The Message

I am calling to ask that Senator _____ support increased funding under the
Smith-Lincoln amendment to the Labor/HHS spending bill, H.R. 3043, for key
Older Americans Act programs, such as Meals on Wheels, senior centers, senior
transportation, caregiver support programs, housing assistance and in-home
services for frail elderly. This funding will help local aging programs in our
state whose budgets have eroded over the last several years as federal funding
has not kept pace with inflation or the growing population of seniors in need
of services. Thank you.

Background

Overall, the Senate Appropriations bill includes greater increases for OAA
programs, with two exceptions: the House bill increases two programs (Title III
B supportive services and centers and the Title V older worker program) that
were level funded by the Senate. Once the Senate bill passes the floor, House
and Senate leaders will attempt to work out differences between the two
versions before sending it to the President.

While the House bill does include increases for nutrition and Title VI Native
American programs and placed $16.5 million for Choices for Independence
activities under Title II, the Senate bill exceeds those increase levels,
providing roughly a five percent increase in meals programs, a more than six
percent increase in Title VI Part A, and $28 million in Choices for nursing
home diversion, ADRCs, and evidence-based disease prevention and health
promotion.

For details on the recommended funding levels for OAA in the House and Senate
Labor/HHS bills, please see n4a's chart:
http://www.n4a.org/members/pdf/FY2008July23.pdf.