[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 77 (Monday, June 19, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5318-S5320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT AND THE SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT

  Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I rise to call attention to the 
needs of our Nation's seniors. Although Social Security, Medicare 
reform and prescription drugs make daily headlines in newspapers across 
the country and are the topic of Congressional and Presidential 
debates, there are two other important programs for seniors which do 
not receive the media attention they deserve. These two programs are 
the Older Americans Act and the Social Services Block Grant.
  As a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and a Senator 
representing the State with the highest poverty rate among seniors, I 
want to reinforce to my colleagues in the Senate the importance of 
these two programs, which are lifelines to low-income, homebound and 
frail seniors.
  First, we need to reauthorize the Older Americans Act. It is our 
country's main vehicle for providing a wide range of social services 
and nutrition programs to older men and women. Unfortunately, the Older 
Americans Act has not been reauthorized since 1995--absolutely 
inexcusable--making this the sixth year without a reauthorization of 
such a vital program for our Nation's senior. Because this year marks 
the 35th anniversary of the Older Americans Act, Congress has a unique 
and timely opportunity to improve the Older Americans Act.
  If we don't act, we will be sending the wrong message to our Nation's 
seniors. We would be telling them that they are not a priority in this 
Nation. This is absolutely the wrong message to be sending to those who 
helped create this incredible prosperity in our Nation. I say to my 
colleagues, we can do better. We must do better.
  The South not only has some of the highest poverty rates among 
seniors, but the South is the home of the majority of seniors in the 
country. Here are some statistics that might surprise you: Florida, 
West Virginia and Arkansas rank among the top five States nationally 
with the highest percentage of seniors over the age of 55; through 
2020, the South will see an 81 percent increase in its population of 
persons age 65 to 84 years of age; and for people age 85 and over, that 
increase in the South will be 134 percent--phenomenal in terms of what 
we will see in the South with elderly individuals dependent on programs 
that the Older Americans Act provides--and over half of all elderly 
African Americans live in the South.
  Based on these compelling statistics and the pending ``age wave'' 
that is coming to the South, the time to act is now. We must update the 
formula used to calculate Older Americans Act funds so Southern states 
receive their fair share of the funds. Currently, 85 percent of Older 
Americans Act funds are distributed to States based on 1985 numbers. 
This is neither fair to southern States nor is it good public policy to 
be using such outdated information. Without a formula update, States 
like Arkansas, and other southern States, with greater numbers of 
seniors will continue to be expected to do too much with absolutely too 
little.
  Each year Title III funding provides seniors around the country with 
hot, nutritious meals in senior centers and other congregate settings. 
In addition, millions of meals are delivered each year to homebound men 
and women who rely on this program not only for nutrition, but for 
companionship and human contact which volunteers provide when they 
visit the person each day. I have made those rounds with constituents, 
delivering meals on wheels to our seniors in rural areas. It means so 
much to have someone bring a nutritous meal and to visit.
  For many seniors, the only human contact they have each day is with 
the person who delivers their meals. During extreme weather conditions, 
home-delivered meal volunteers are able to check on seniors and make 
sure they are not ill or suffering from extreme heat or cold.
  In Arkansas, we deliver 2 million home meals a year to the elderly 
and provide another 2 million congregate meals. However, many seniors 
are still unable to receive meals. About 1,300 frail, homebound elderly 
men and women are on waiting lists for home-delivered meals. This 
number only represents a fraction of low-income seniors who need meals 
but can't get them, because those living in rural areas that are not 
served by programs like Meals on Wheels are not counted for waiting 
lists.
  Here is a story which was sent to me by an Area Agency on Aging 
caseworker from Fulton County, AR. She writes about a couple by the 
name of John and Reba.

       John and Reba live in a mobile home near Salem, Arkansas. 
     They started receiving home delivered meals in October 1999. 
     Both of them are physically handicapped and are barely able 
     to get around. John is on oxygen and has severe heart 
     problems. Reba has heart problems and arthritis.
       At the time they began receiving meals they were physically 
     and financially burdened and didn't know how they would buy

[[Page S5319]]

     food for the next meal. Reba said getting the meals had 
     relieved them from a great burden. She said they can hardly 
     wait each day to get their meals. They really look forward to 
     seeing the volunteer and the van coming to their trailer.

  Here is another story about an Arkansas senior. Mr. Black is 71 years 
old and lives alone in an old farmhouse in an isolated, rural area in 
Van Buren County. In the winter you can feel the wind blow through the 
house and in the summer the heat is unbearable. Mr. Black does not have 
any immediate family to check on him. He only has a microwave to cook 
in. He lives on a fixed income and has no transportation to get into 
town to purchase groceries on a regular basis.
  Mr. Black said this about the home delivered meals he receives, 
``They help me out a lot. The meals are better than the food I can buy. 
I can't buy much on a fixed income.'' Mr. Black has told his case 
manager on more than one occasion that he does not know what he would 
do without the meals. It is a real hardship on him if he misses his 
home delivered meals. One week he missed all of his home delivered 
meals because of doctors appointments and it was very difficult for him 
to buy food and prepare meals that week. He just went without.
  The Title V senior employment program is one of the best kept secrets 
in the country. Through this funding mechanism, older Americans who 
want to work can go to a senior employment agency in their community 
and learn of available job opportunities.
  No matter what type of training seniors need to fill these jobs, 
training is made available to them. For example, if seniors need 
training to work in a modern office environment, they learn how to surf 
the internet, use computers and send faxes. Nationally, over 61,000 
seniors a year are employed through senior programs.
  Some of Arkansas's finest employment programs for seniors are 
operated by Green Thumb and other outstanding Area Agencies on Aging. I 
have met many older workers and listened to them talk with enthusiasm 
about their jobs. I only hope that when I'm 75, 80, or 85 I will have 
half of their energy and zest for life!
  The senior employment program is a win-win proposition for both 
sides. Low-income seniors who need additional income to supplement 
their Social Security checks have an opportunity to find a job 
placement and any necessary training through a Title V contractor. This 
not only generates additional income for seniors but a sense of purpose 
and a chance to stay engaged in their community and make a 
contribution--something we all want to feel, and that is needed.
  The community and employers benefit by hiring honest, loyal and 
dependable persons who are committed to showing up for work every day 
and doing a good job. Especially in booming economic times when the job 
market is tight, seniors can fill jobs that employers otherwise might 
not be able to fill. The senior employment program makes good economic 
sense. It also provides for the workers: the quality and guidance of 
seniors who exemplify a tremendous work ethic and bring a lot to the 
workplace.
  Here is a remarkable story of a woman from Texarkana, AR, whose life 
was transformed by the Green Thumb program. Olla Mae Germany came to 
the Green Thumb program at the age of 65. She had been a victim of 
domestic violence. She had never worked, could barely read and had 
walked to the interview. She told the coordinator that she was ``dumb, 
stupid, ugly, ignorant, and no one cared about her.'' During that 
meeting she also shared her hopes for the future--she wanted to learn 
to read, achieve a GED, gain clerical and computer skills, and get a 
job.
  Ms. Germany was assigned to the Literacy Council in Texarkana. Her 
job entailed clerical duties and literacy training. After receiving her 
first pay check, Ms. Germany told her boss that she bought a new outfit 
for work and had her hair styled professionally for the first time in 
her life. She was especially pleased that the people in her office 
noticed her appearance and told her she looked pretty. With increased 
self-esteem she became more confident in her abilities. Only 24 weeks 
after her Green Thumb enrollment, Ms. Germany learned to read and 
significantly improved her office skills. She began making public 
speeches on behalf of the local literacy council.
  Today, Ms. Germany continues to work toward self-sufficiency. She has 
a new job with a Texarkana agency that promotes neighborhood 
revitalization and economic development. She is learning new technology 
skills. She is also studying for her GED. Recently, Ms. Germany was 
able to buy her very first car, thanks to the money she has earned from 
her jobs. With new marketable skills, a confident self-image and 
dependable transportation, Ms. Germany is well on her way toward 
achieving her goals for a brighter future and making a contribution to 
her community.
  I know Democrats and Republicans on the Special Committee on Aging 
disagree over the allocation of Title V monies. I think groups like 
Green Thumb have proven their ability to train and place older workers 
successfully in the community and I urge my colleagues to allow the 
national Title V grantees to continue receiving a majority of Title V 
funds.
  The reauthorization of the Older Americans Act will also include a 
new authorization for the National Family Caregivers Act. I am an 
original cosponsor of this bill in the Senate because I believe that 
our country needs to find a better way to support family members who 
serve as caregivers. No one wants to leave their home just because they 
are aging and/or disabled. The inclusion of a National Family 
Caregivers Act is foreward thinking and family friendly. Baby boomers 
need support to care for their family members and it is high time that 
we provide Federal leadership in this area of home care.
  Finally, the other program I will focus on is the Social Services 
Block Grant, better known by its acronym SSBG. States use SSBG funds to 
support programs for both at-risk children and seniors. In Arkansas, a 
significant portion of SSBG funds are used to support and operate 
senior centers, to provide Meals on Wheels for frail, homebound 
elderly, and to provide transportation for seniors, especially those 
living in rural areas.
  Over the past five years, Congress has cut SSBG funds by $1 billion.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 5 additional 
minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are operating under a consent agreement 
with the Republican side.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Perhaps the chairman of the Aging Committee will allow 
me 5 additional minutes.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. I ask unanimous consent that we extend for our side as 
well.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The 
Republican side will have 5 additional minutes, and the Democratic side 
will have 5 additional minutes.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. This year alone, the Senate Labor-HHS Subcommittee on 
Appropriations cut SSBG by $1.1 billion. This translates into a cut of 
nearly two-thirds. Arkansas will lose over $11 million in FY 2001. This 
draconian cut comes on the heels of a $134 million cut in FY 2000 in 
which Arkansas lost $1.3 million.

  What does this dramatic funding loss mean to senior services in my 
home state? Because Arkansas spends a majority of its SSBG funds on 
senior services, 40 senior centers around the state may have to shut 
down or dramatically reduce operating hours. In addition to providing 
social activities and hot, nutritious meals to seniors, senior centers 
also provide seniors with rides to the doctor's office, the pharmacy 
and grocery stores. As one Area Agency on Aging administrator in 
Malvern, Arkansas wrote to me, ``for many of our seniors, the senior 
center is their lifeline. It provides them with a reason to get up in 
the morning.''
  I would like to read to you what a social services case manager sent 
me about an aging client in northwest Arkansas.

       When Delbert was in his early 50's he suffered a stroke 
     that left him with paralysis on the left side and confined to 
     a wheelchair. He has no children and his only family support 
     comes from a sister and brother-in-law in Atlanta, Georgia. 
     They help him with money management. Case managers and case 
     workers with the Area Agency on Aging helped him find a 
     personal care assistant on a temporary basis through the 
     state's Supplemental Personal Care Program.

[[Page S5320]]

       In the meantime, Delbert applied for and awaited approval 
     from the Alternatives Program for Adults with Physical 
     Disabilities, a state Medicaid program. Once approval came, 
     he received funding and assistance in having his bathroom 
     retrofitted to be handicapped accessible.
       He was also provided with personal care and housekeeping 
     assistance. Delbert also began to receive home delivered 
     meals. Last October, Delbert celebrated his 65th birthday. 
     Because he was confined to a wheelchair and very isolated and 
     lonely, his doctor prescribed socialization and exercise to 
     combat his depression. Now, every Tuesday and Thursday 
     Delbert rides in a handicap accessible van to the Benton 
     County Senior Services Center where he participates in an 
     exercise program.
       He now enjoys his newfound friends and enjoys games and 
     other activities at the senior center. Thanks to these aging 
     and disability support services, Delbert lives with dignity 
     and independence. Without this assistance he would, no doubt, 
     have spent the past few years in a long-term care facility at 
     enormous cost to the public.

  If SSBG gets cut severely this year, millions of Meals on Wheels to 
homebound seniors may not be delivered next year to people who rely on 
them. States are already scaling back congregate and home delivered 
meal programs because of last year's Federal funding cuts. Although 
Congress increased Older Americans Act funds for home delivered meals 
by 31% last year, it simultaneously cut the Social Services Block Grant 
and the USDA Nutrition Program for the Elderly, which resulted in a net 
loss of $300,000 in Federal funds to Arkansas. Unless we act, this 
year's cuts will be even greater.
  To put the cost of home delivered meals in perspective, the cost of 
providing home delivered meals to a senior for one year costs about as 
much as one day's stay in the hospital for one person. I don't know 
about you, but I think that is pretty affordable.
  The irony of the situation is that these draconian cuts to SSBG come 
at a time when our budget is experiencing unprecedented surpluses. That 
is why I respectfully disagree with some of my colleagues who support 
these crippling SSBG funding cuts. They argue that Governors can offset 
these cuts with tobacco settlement money or TANF funds, but I think 
this is unrealistic. Governors are spending most of their tobacco 
settlement funds on health related initiatives and smoking prevention 
programs.
  I supported an amendment during last year's Labor/HHS/Education 
appropriations process to restore funding to the SSBG, although it did 
not pass. Recently I cosponsored legislation by Senators Graham and 
Jeffords to restore SSBG funding. When I was in the House of 
Representatives and voted for welfare reform, an agreement was made 
between Congress and the states to decrease SSBG from $2.8 billion to 
$2.4 billion until welfare reform was firmly established. In FY 03, 
Congress was to restore funding to the $2.8 billion level. Clearly, 
Congress has not operated in good faith in honoring this agreement.
  I believe that the Older Americans Act and the Social Services Block 
Grant are vital safety nets for our nation's seniors. I hope the Senate 
will do the right thing by passing a pro-senior Older Americans Act and 
restore funds to the Social Services Block Grant.
  I don't know about my colleagues, but I do know there is not a day 
that goes by that I don't think of the contribution of an elderly 
person in my life.
  I would like to close by reading a quote by Senator Hubert Humphrey 
that you may be familiar with:

       It was once said that the moral test of government is how 
     that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the 
     children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; 
     and those who are in the shadows of life--the sick, the needy 
     and the disabled.

  I think we have a wonderful opportunity to help the young, the old, 
the sick, the needy and the disabled by restoring the cuts to the 
Social Services Block Grant and reauthorizing the Older Americans Act.
  Let's get to work!
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Thomas). The Senator from Iowa is 
recognized.

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