Transcripts For CSPAN U.S. House Of Representatives U.S. Hou

The chair lays before the house a communication. The clerk the honorable the speaker, house of representatives. Madam, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2h of rule 2 of the rules of the u. S. House of representatives, the clerk received the following message from the secretary of the senate on october 28, 2019, at 12 27 p. M. That the Senate Passed senate 2665. That the Senate Passed senate 2107. With best wishes i am sinned sign searly, cheryl l johnson. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered or votes objected to under pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18 clause 6 of rule 20. The house will resume proceedings on postponed questions at later time. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from oregon seek recognition . Miss bonamici, mr. Speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 4334, as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 4334, a bill to amend the Older Americans act of 1965 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2020 through 2024, and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from oregon, miss bonamici, and the gentlewoman from new york, ms. Stefanik, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from oregon. Miss bonamici thank you, mr. Speaker miss bonamici thank you, mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on h. R. 4334, the dignity in aging act. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Bonamici thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Bonamici i rise in strong support of h. R. 4334, the dignity in aging act of 2019. I introduced this bipartisan bill to reauthorize and update the Older Americans act, or o. A. A. , which was first passed in 1965 as part of president Lyndon Johnsons Great Society initiative. For more than 50 years o. A. A. Programs have helped Older Americans maintain their independence and dignity. Today the Older Americans act serves about 11 million individuals each year. With three million of those americans relying regularly on o. A. A. Programs to meet their basic needs. Unfortunately, funding for the Older Americans act lags far behind the increasing demand for its services. Although the population of americans over age 60 has grown more than 60 since 2001, o. A. A. Funding has only grown by about 20 . Adjusting for inflation, this means that o. A. A. Funding has declined by about 16 . That erosion of funding exacerbates the vast unmet need. In my home state of oregon and across the country. It means that every day in our community there are seniors who do not have the care they need and deserve. I have heard and read too many stories about seniors rationing medication or saving portions of their meal so they can stretch their resources just a bit further into the week. Ill never forget the story i heard of an 80yearold woman in oregon living in her car. She did not know where to turn for help. Far too Many Americans continue to face poverty, discrimination, and barriers to basic necessity. This is in part because o. O a. A. Programs are underfunded and not fully supported. According to a 2015 g. A. O. Report, o. A. A. Services do not reach 83 of the low income Older Americans who experience food insecurity. Thats more than four out of every five seniors in need. Today we recommit to investing in o. A. A. Programs because we have an obligation, moral obligation, to take care of those who cared for us. The dignity in aging act authorizes record levels of funding for o. A. A. Programs, which will help expand access to food assistance, transportation, and other basic services that the growing population of seniors need to live independently. Under this bill, all o. A. A. Programs are eligible to receive and immediate 7 increase in funding and a 6 increase each year thereafter. This will result in a more than 35 total increase in Program Funding over the five year reauthorization program, restoring o. A. A. Funding to prerecession baseline. This is a good investment because o. A. A. Programs help seniors stay in their homes and out of costly facilities. The bill also recognizes the need to support Family Caregivers and direct care workers. It extends the raise Family Caregivers act which helps develop a National Strategy to recognize and support those caring for their loved ones. My 91yearold mother has alzheimers so i know how important caregivers are. H. R. 4334 strengthens our focus on combating social isolation, which greatly increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, dementia, and premature death t does so by incorporating social isolation screening into the health and Supportive Services that seniors receive and by empowering local organizations to evaluate solutions for social isolation. The dignity in aging act also establishes a National Research demonstration and Evaluation Center for the aging network. This center will be responsible for conducting, promoting, and coordinating research, including evaluation and demonstration projects, and related Technical Assistance through the act. The center will increase the repository of information on evidencebased programs and interventions available to the aging network. The bill improves Economic Opportunity and engagement for Older Americans. It includes individuals who are just as involved as the priority population for the Senior Community Service Employment program. The bill also encourages the inclusion of Arts Education and cultural experiences among other Supportive Services, and further allows for demonstration funds to be used for multigenerational collaboration projects that provide opportunities for older individuals to participate in multigenerational activities and Civic Engagement activities. Finally, this Bipartisan Legislation seeks to improve services for historically underserved and marginalized individuals. Including native americans, Holocaust Survivors, and lgbt seniors. For example, it will create a national Technical Assistance center dedicated to expanding the aging Networks Compass to the deliver person centered trauma snfed service that is meet the needs informed services that meet the needs of survivors. It recognizes the ongoing importance of work and improves the Data Collection and outreach for all Resource Centers that focus on population meeting additional or unique services. This bill provides a rare bipartisan opportunity to help millions of Older Americans across the countryle spend less of their limited income on costly care and just as importantly to empower every individual to age with dignity. Id like to thank education and Labor Committee chairman bobby scott and Ranking Member virginia foxx, as well as my coleads on the bill, representative elise stefanik, subcommittee Ranking Member representative james comber, and refives susi lee, suzanne wild, and johnson for working together to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor. I also want to thank the hardworking staff, especially carry and ally from the committee. My personal to the office staff. And the staff on both sides of the aisle. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation so we can better care for those who have cared for us. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from oregon reserves the balance of her time. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Stefanik thank you, mr. Speaker. As the representative of a district that has one of the largest constituencies of Older Americans, i am proud to rise as a coauthor of h. R. 4334, the dignity in aging act. Bipartisan legislation that reauthorizes the Older Americans act, which will directly benefit the seniors in my district and the seniors across the country. Since 1965 this statute has provided a wide range of social and Nutrition Services for americans aged 60 years or older. In addition to wellknown programs like meals on o wheels, the Older Americans act support services that include Nutrition Programs providing meals at senior centers, schools, and churches. Care to prevent abuse, negligent, and exploitation of seniors. Family caregiver support systems, and Community Service Employment Opportunities for Older Americans. This legislation is full of bipartisan agreements and priorities and during times of stark political you divide it is encouraging to be here today with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to speak in support of the dignity in aging act, which is the product of a diligent congenial effort that embodies the good that can come from working across the aisle. The bill before us today provides states the flexibility to spend funds on the issues impacting their senior communities, which includes support for Older Americans who have become caregivers of younger relatives due to the devastating toll of the Opioid Epidemic in our communities. It enhances the costeffectiveness of Critical Programs, ensures Program Accountability and integrity by prohibiting the renewal of grants that do not demonstrate effectiveness. It assists formerly incarcerated old oer individuals reenter the work force rather than reoffend. And ensures that funded programs are evidencebased and effectively serving seniors. Additionally, this bill includes long overdue updates from the younger onset alzheimers act that i coled with my friend and colleague from new york, congresswoman kathleen rice. Those under 60 with this heartbreaking disease face unique hardships for themselves and their families of the the current support structures for individuals with alzheimers are focused almost exclusively on seniors. Leaving the 200,000 americans living with younger onset alzheimers without access to these critical services. This bill ensures individuals of any age living with alzheimers receive full access to the services and support provided by the Older Americans act. I am also very proud to say that included in this bill is language from another bipartisan legislative proposal that i coauthored, encouraging the use of caregiver assessments to identify the needs a family care delivers. This individualized approach to care will ensure both caregivers and those who require assistance are provided tailored support to achieve the best possible health outcomes. There is another group of Older Americans in this country that we must not forget. The nearly 80,000 Holocaust Survivors who live among us. As victims of the very worst of humanity, Holocaust Survivors deserve devoted care and support to address the unimaginable horrific trauma they experienced. Sadly one third of our countrys Holocaust Survivors live in poverty. During the markup process in the house education and Labor Committee, i was honored to work with my friend and colleague, representative bonamici, on a provision that workstodress the needs of aging Holocaust Survivors. Institutional placement can present a unique challenge to those who have suffered the trauma of the holocaust. It is critical these individuals are identified for the Services Necessary to support independent living. Our provision will ensure local outreach efforts place a special emphasis on Holocaust Survivors and other at risk for institutional placement. Additionally, the bill recognizes the specific needs of this community by ensuring that Nutrition Programs should meet the religious, cultural, or ethnic dietary requirements of all Older Americans. These men and women have survived unable suffering yet many continue to live with physical and emotional scars from the horror they faced. Together we acknonl their resilience and seek to offer opportunities that allow them to live healthy, dignified, and independent lives through their elder years. Mr. Speaker, im encourage the by the bipartisan effort from the education and Labor Committee that resulted in the meaningful slayings before us today. I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to vote yes on h. R. 4334, the dignity in aging act n doing so we reaffirm our commitment to our nations older generation. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman new york reserves the balance of her time. The gentlewoman from oregon is recognized. Ms. Bonamici mr. Speaker, im pleased to yield three minutes to the chairman of the education and Labor Committee, the gentleman from virginia, mr. Scott. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from virginia, mr. Scott, is recognized for three minutes. Mr. Scott thank you, mr. Speaker. I want to thank representatives bonamici, stefanik, lee of neverauskas, comber, wild, and johnson of south dakota for their work on this bipartisan bill. I wranto specifically recognize i want to specifically recognize miss bonamici for and the ms. Bonamici for her leadership we are here to consider the dignity in aging act and to reauthorize the Older Americans act and thereby support an investment in our nations seniors. The Congress First passed the Older Americans act in 1965, along with medicare, medicaid, and other civil rights legislation as part of president johnsons great stoig society. 54 years later this 45 years later, it continues to support programs that support 11 million americans maintain independence and avoid institutional care. This includes three million americans who regularly use o. A. E. Services to address basic needs, especially food, transportation and social action. Unfortunately it has not kept pace with inflation and the growing population of aging americans in 2010 americans. N 2010, the annual funding was 40 per senior. Its now 27. This weakens the services at a time theyre in high demand. According to a g. A. O. Report the services failed to reach a vast majority of lowincome americans who have food insecurity. This investment will allow us to not only help senior with us also help us save money. O. A. E. Services allow Older Americans to delay or altogether avoid costlier care by promoting healthier behaviors and promoting critical support of services. The bill funds o. A. E. Services at record levels, focuses on the vital role of Family Caregiverers as direct workers and allows those with early onset als himmers to benefit from the act. As the number of Older Americans continues to increase, the dignity in aging act is an opportunity for us to strengthen essential services that allow millions of americans across the crunt toy age independently and with dignity. I urge my colleagues to support the dignity in aging act of 2019 and yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Stefanik i yield two minutes to mr. Comer, the rank egg member of the civil rights committee. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Comer todays Life Expectancy is at a historic high which is great news but it also means we need to be doing all we can tone sure americans have access to services to allow them to live independently in their homes as long as possible. Since 1965, the Older Americans act or a. A. Or o. A. A. Has governed the delivery of services throughout the country. With more than 41 million americans age 65 and older the social and ewe nutritional programs offered by o. A. A. Are critical to helping them maintain independence. The reach of this law is substantial and covers many aspects of elder care. In addition to well known programs like meals on wheel, o. A. A. Support Services Provided by more than 300 state organization and approximately 20,000 local providers som