[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 74 (Wednesday, May 11, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S2704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


            OLDER AMERICANS ACT REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2016

  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, we wish to highlight an issue of 
importance to Colorado and its community of senior citizens. Earlier 
this month, Congress passed the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act 
of 2016 and sent it to the President for his signature. This 
reauthorization ensures that a wide range of social and nutritional 
services directed to assist senior citizens is not disrupted. While the 
reauthorization improves the status quo for the State of Colorado, we 
continue to have concerns about the disproportionate level of funding 
going to our State in comparison to the rest of the country.
  Mr. BENNET. I agree with my colleague from Colorado. In an attempt to 
protect certain States with guaranteed funding levels, in 2006 Congress 
changed the Older Americans Act funding formula to ensure States 
received a guaranteed funding level based on senior populations. Due to 
Colorado's growing senior population and this provision from 2006, 
Colorado saw massive cuts during sequestration, when other States did 
not.
  Mr. GARDNER. Instead of allowing the funding to go to States with 
growing senior populations, the hold-harmless funding formula in the 
current reauthorization continues the disproportionate trend by 
preventing funding in States with lower senior populations from going 
to States with growing levels of senior citizens. While we are 
supportive of the services provided by the Older Americans Act, 
Congress's priority should be ensuring the stability of the programs 
that millions of seniors around the country depend upon.
  Mr. BENNET. We believe that, moving forward, it is imperative that 
steps are taken in future reauthorizations to safeguard services for 
all seniors regardless of their State of residence. It is our hope that 
as Congress continues to address issues that are important to all 
senior citizens, we find a path forward to address the issue we have 
raised here today.

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