[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 7, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H3454-H3455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, May is Older Americans Month, and today I 
rise to call attention to historic legislation that has for decades 
served as a lifeline to our country's seniors.
  The Older Americans Act is responsible for critical services, like 
housing, nutrition, and employment assistance. For many seniors, the 
Older Americans Act is responsible for the delivery of their only warm 
meal of the day and their only social interaction.
  The legislation expired in 2011; and today I am speaking in support 
of H.R. 4122, the bill I introduced with the gentleman from Texas, 
Congressman Rubeen Hinojosa, to reauthorize the Older Americans Act.
  Congress first passed the Older Americans Act in 1965 as one of 
President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs. Its goal is to 
ensure that our seniors age with dignity, maintain independence for as 
long as possible, and do not grow old in poverty.
  Over the years, the OAA has been reauthorized and improved upon to 
meet the needs of the changing population. As Americans live longer, 
our policy needs to keep pace.
  Our legislation includes stronger elder abuse protections, modernized 
senior centers, improved transportation services, and other programs 
that promote seniors' independence.
  One of the titles in the Older Americans Act provides important 
employment support to the country's seniors, something they need now 
more than ever. The Senior Community Service Employment Program 
provides job training and job placement for low-income seniors. Many of 
the people who use this important program were laid off during the 
recession, only to see their position disappear altogether during the 
recovery. Now they find that they lack the necessary skills to fill the 
new jobs that have been created, and they must compete with a younger, 
inexperienced workforce willing to accept wages lower than their 
earning potential.
  This important program, known as SCSEP, provides specialized training 
for these mature workers. By partnering with local nonprofits and State 
agencies, SCSEP helps older Americans develop new skills and then pairs 
them with employers.
  I recently met with several SCSEP participants at the Forest Grove, 
Oregon, senior center in my district, and I heard firsthand how the 
program

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helps people get back on their feet. Programs like this are exactly 
what many of the long-term unemployed need. And while we continue to 
debate extending the emergency unemployment program, SCSEP is 
addressing the problem head-on for many of our constituents by offering 
a solution that is good for employees, businesses, and the economy as a 
whole.
  Mr. Speaker, the Older Americans Act was developed so our country's 
seniors could age with dignity. Today it continues to provide support 
to older Americans who are eager to work and live independent lives as 
they age. The Senate has advanced its own bipartisan Older Americans 
Act bill, and I am hopeful my colleagues will follow suit and support 
H.R. 4122.

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