I am reaching out today regarding funding for the Older Americans Act and other aging programs in the 2018 funding bills being considered by Congress. I urge Congress to swiftly adopt a bipartisan, long-term funding bill that:
– Preserves the House-passed increase for Older Americans Act Title III B Supportive Services, which provides critical in-home help to older adults who would otherwise not be able to remain living independently.
– Adopts the Senate-proposed funding levels for the federal State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), senior workforce development programs and elder justice programs.
Older Americans Act programs are critical to me and people like me in MA, and with more Americans living longer, we should be investing in these programs now, not cutting them!
Tax reform passed by each chamber is expected to move through conference committee very soon. This tax cut measure will undermine critical programs and supports necessary to ensure the safety and security of America’s older adults, caregivers and their families at a time when our nation is aging rapidly and services are increasingly necessary.
By driving up the federal deficit by at least $1.5 trillion, lawmakers are expected to propose deep spending cuts next year as a way to “offset” deficit increases. This could occur as soon as next year to federal health care and social services programs to offset the deficit increases resulting from tax cuts.
Please ensure that any final funding bill preserves increases for and rejects cuts to Older Americans Act and other critical aging programs.
Thank you for advocating for elders and families in MA.
