March 20, 2019 Advocacy Alert


Help Push for OAA Funding Increases:
Call Your Representatives TODAY!
Ask Them to Sign on to the Bipartisan OAA Letter

 


Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) has again this year circulated a letter to her fellow Representatives requesting their signatures in support of a request to House Appropriations Labor/HHS/Education Subcommittee leaders to increase funding for Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III programs in FY 2020. This year, in this bipartisan effort, she’s joined by Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Dave Loebsack (D-IA) in rallying their colleagues to support this effort.
 
This is one of the first advocacy opportunities in the FY 2020 annual appropriations process that determines what next year’s OAA funding will be. This letter will be one of thousands sent to the Appropriations Committee’s leaders asking for particular funding levels for thousands of federal discretionary programs. That’s why we need your support to drive signatures to the OAA letter, so appropriators notice the bipartisan support for these vital programs!
 

The letter specifically asks for significantly increased funding for OAA Title III B Supportive Services, Title III C Nutrition and Title III E National Family Caregiver Support Program. This approach complements n4a’s FY 2020 OAA appropriations priorities on OAA Title III programs, specifically III B and III E. Implementing the increases recommended in this letter would be an important step to restoring the capacity of the programs lost to stagnant funding and a growing population.
 
We need you to take action to urge your Representatives to sign on to this letter to ensure that it receives the strong support needed for the Subcommittee to take this request seriously.
 
Members’ signatures are due by close of business on Monday, March 25, so please do your outreach TODAY!
 
Action Requested:
 
Call your Representatives and ask them to sign on to the letter circulated by Reps. Bonamici, Stefanik, Deutch and Loebsack on OAA funding. Even if you know enough about your Member’s voting history to understand your request is not an easy one, please do this outreach anyway. It’s vital that all Representatives understand how critical OAA funding is to older adults and caregivers!
 

STEP 1: Check this list to see if your Representative(s) has already signed on to the letter. If his/her name isn’t on this list…
 
STEP 2: Call the DC office and ask for the staff member who handles Older Americans Act or appropriations issues. You can reach them through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 or find the number on your Member’s website.
 
STEP 3: Tell them about the Bipartisan Bonamici OAA Dear Colleague letter and offer to email them a link to the letter if they have not already seen it.
 
STEP 4: Let them know exactly why you want your Member to sign on to the OAA letter. Give local statistics that demonstrate the need for an increase in OAA funding. If they ask for a staff contact for Rep. Bonamici, tell them to phone Jack Arriaga at 202.225.0855.

The deadline for signatures is MONDAY, MARCH 25.

Ask other advocates to do the same! Urge colleagues, advisory board members, volunteers and clients to make calls to their Representatives, as well. We have a very short window of opportunity, so we need you and your colleagues to act fast on this particular request!

In the coming weeks, n4a will be launching our annual appropriations campaign, with new grassroots tools to help us make the case for OAA, so stay tuned!
 
Thank you for your advocacy!
 

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If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or n4a’s policy positions, please contact Autumn Campbell at acampbell@n4a.org and Amy Gotwals at agotwals@n4a.org.


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