[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 58 (Thursday, May 11, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN HONOR OF OLDER AMERICANS MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JUDY BIGGERT

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 11, 2000

  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Older Americans 
Month.
  For more than 35 years, the President of the United States has 
designated May as Older Americans Month--the month when we honor our 34 
million older Americans whose contributions helped to make the 20th 
century the American century.
  This year's theme--``In the New Century . . . The Future is Aging''--
highlights the impact that those extraordinary contributions had on 
nearly every aspect of society for future generations of Americans. It 
also gives us a chance to draw attention to aging issues that policy 
makers will face as the ranks of older Americans swell in the coming 
decades.
  The next century is expected to be a golden age for seniors, with 
life expectancy increasing and predictions that older people will 
outnumber children for the first time in history.
  The least we can do is assist those who have given all they can and 
want to continue to live healthy, active lives.
  We started on the right path when we repealed the Social Security 
Earnings Limit. No longer will the tax code penalize those seniors who 
choose to stay in the workforce during their golden years.
  But there is more to do. For one, we can renew the Older Americans 
Act, which has not been reauthorized since 1995. Since that time, our 
nation's seniors and the programs established to serve them have faced 
an uncertain future.
  The Older Americans Act has been a special program for over 34 years. 
Using a small slice of the federal budget, the Act has provided hot 
meals, legal assistance, employment for seniors, and services for the 
homebound. Because these programs help our seniors to remain active, 
healthy, and a part of their communities, we must make the Act's 
reauthorization a priority.
  And there are other challenges to face--ensuring that Social Security 
will be viable for this generation and others, finding a way to furnish 
long-term care security, and providing a Medicare prescription drug 
benefit.
  But let's not get lost in the minutiae of policy--May is about 
honoring our seniors, not advancing an agenda.
  So, on Friday, I will travel to Darien, Illinois, in my congressional 
district to celebrate their Older Americans Day. We will honor those 
who contribute to our communities as grandparents, parents, workers, 
volunteers, and role models. We will honor those who are the keepers of 
our traditions and teachers of our values.
  I urge all my colleagues to follow Darien's led and to use the month 
of May to celebrate the great gifts older Americans bring to our lives. 
And let's help our older friends, parents and grandparents make their 
lives and our lives more rich and rewarding for many years to come.

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