[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 63 (Friday, May 19, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E886-E887]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               REAUTHORIZATION OF THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2006

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I introduced the following amendment to 
H.R. 5293 on May 17, 2006 and made the following statement afterward.

       Page 22, after line 12, insert the following (and make such 
     technical and conforming changes as may be appropriate):
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f) In addition to sums authorized by subsections (a) and 
     (b) to be appropriated, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated to pay expenses for fuel used to carry out parts 
     B and C--
       ``(1) for fiscal year 2007, $26,800,000 multiplied by the 
     average price of a barrel of oil for 2006 as reported by the 
     Energy Information Administration, divided by the average 
     price of a barrel of oil as reported by the Energy 
     Information Administration for 2005;
       ``(2) for fiscal year 2008, the amount authorized for 2007 
     for fuel multiplied by the average price of a barrel of oil 
     for 2007 as reported by the Energy Information 
     Administration, divided by the average price of a barrel of 
     oil as reported by the Energy Information Administration for 
     2006;
       ``(3) for fiscal year 2009, the amount authorized for 2008 
     for fuel multiplied by the average price of a barrel of oil 
     for 2008 as reported by the Energy Information 
     Administration, divided by the average price of a barrel of 
     oil as reported by the Energy Information Administration for 
     2007;
       ``(4) for fiscal year 2010, the amount authorized for 2009 
     for fuel multiplied by the average price of a barrel of oil 
     for 2009 as reported by the Energy Information 
     Administration, divided by the average price of a barrel of 
     oil as reported by the Energy Information Administration for 
     2008.; and
       ``(5) for fiscal year 2011, the amount authorized for 2010 
     for fuel multiplied by the average price of a barrel of oil 
     for 2010 as reported by the Energy Information 
     Administration, divided by the average price of a barrel of 
     oil as reported by the Energy Information Administration for 
     2009.''.
                                  ____
                                  
       On May 17, 2006, I introduced an amendment in the House 
     Education and the Workforce Committee, of which I am a 
     member, to H.R. 5293, the Senior Independence Act. The bill 
     reauthorizes the Older Americans Act. My amendment would help 
     provide relief for Administrations on Aging and thousands of 
     volunteers nationwide from being squeezed by the rising cost 
     of gas. It provides a non-binding formula for calculating 
     annual increses in fuel costs for the thre Older Americans 
     Act programs that are the most heavily dependent on 
     transportation. These programs include the in-home nutrition 
     services, the congregate nurtition services, and the 
     supportive services that provide rides to doctor's 
     appointments, trips to the grocery store and to senior 
     centers, among other services. Sadly, he amendment was 
     defeated along party lines by a vote of 23-21.
       It is plain to see why these programs have been so 
     successful and so important to seniors. As Americans age, the 
     mobility decreases. Consistent with the intent of the Older 
     Americans Act, these services help seniors maintain 
     independence, dignity and health. In FY2003, the Supportive 
     Services gave almost 36 million rides and provided 20 million 
     hours of personal care, homemaker and chore services. In that 
     same year, 248 million means were served. Fifty-seven percent 
     were provided in the home with the remainder in group 
     settings. Each meal required transportation.
       According to the Energy Information Administration, the 
     price of gas the week ending on Christmas of the year 2000 
     was one dollar, sixty cents. The price for the week of May 
     15, 2006 was three dollars, fifteen cents. In other words, 
     since the Older Americans Act was last reauthorized, gas 
     prices have doubled.
       We know that when the elements of our lives on which we 
     rely go up in the price, the effect is highly regressive. 
     Those with lower incomes pay a higher percentage of their 
     income for the essentials of life than their

[[Page E887]]

     high-income counterparts. The effect is 
     particularly pronounced when we consider people with fixed 
     incomes like seniors. Almost a third of America's aged are 
     low-income.
       High gas prices also affect the programs like the meal and 
     transportation services.
       First, programs have to cut back services. For example, in 
     testimony before the Senate Special Committee on Aging last 
     June, Donna Harvey, the executive Director of the Hawkeye 
     Valley Area Agency on Aging in Iowa told of having to 
     eliminate transportation services ``for all `non-essential' 
     trips such as family visits, general shopping, trips to the 
     workplace, and other social activities'' because of rising 
     fuel costs.
       Second, as with so many other provisions in the Older 
     Americans Act, the meal and supportive services programs are 
     heavily dependent on volunteers. Many of the drivers are 
     called the ``young-old''--those who are independently mobile 
     but are still on a senior's fixed income. A significant 
     portion of these volunteers get reimbursed based on rates 
     that precede the gas price hikes because the Administrations 
     on Aging can't afford to keep pace. It is easy to see why we 
     are losing drivers. They are taking the brunt of the gas 
     price increases and are forced to curtail their generosity.
       Finally, as those seniors living at the financial margins 
     who cannot afford the inflated cost of gas lose their 
     independence, they rely more heavily on services like those 
     provided by the Administrations on Aging through the Older 
     Americans Act.
       At the same time that prices have gone up, funding has gone 
     down. Supportive services has not even been flat funded since 
     FY02, going down six million dollars. The same is true for 
     congregate meals--their funding has decreased by five million 
     dollars since FY02. And funding for home delivered meals has 
     increased by only five million dollars, failing to come close 
     to keeping pace with inflation.
       We must do what we can to make sure our mothers, fathers, 
     siblings and grandparents are not losing the services they 
     need to help them lead independent, dignified, healthy lives 
     because of gas prices. My amendment holds harmless from 
     rising gasoline prices the congregate and in-home nutrition 
     services as well as the supportive services. It does this by 
     authorizing a yearly adjustment to the fuel component of 
     their budgets. If the price of crude oil rises year after 
     year, then the agencies' fuel budgets will rise a 
     proportionate amount. If oil prices fall, fuel budgets fall 
     in step as well. I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

                          ____________________