News
Federal Budgeting Process Begins; Your Advocacy Needed Now!
- By: USAging
- On: 04/02/2021 09:27:53
- In: Policy & Advocacy
Typically, budget season in DC starts with the President's budget release in February, followed by congressional activity to agree on topline spending targets. Then, appropriations committees in Congress dive deeper, determining specific funding levels for a host of discretionary programs, including the Older Americans Act. But when a new President takes office, no one waits around for his/her budget, which is typically late.
A “skinny” or high-level version of President Biden's FY 2022 budget is expected to be released today, with a full budget to follow sometime in May. While this Congress will take the President's budget seriously, given that Democrats control the White House, Senate and House, they also aren't waiting around for it. House and Senate appropriations committees have begun their work already and are telling their fellow lawmakers that their preferences for specific programs' funding must be submitted in the next few weeks. This means advocates need to seize the moment, and let your Senators and Representatives know what YOU think they should be requesting.
n4a's latest Advocacy Alert has all the details you need to swiftly and easily take action to ensure that your agency is on record with your congressional delegation. This is just the first step, but one we can't let pass by, so please take action NOW.
n4a is also working closely with our Hill champions to develop “Dear Colleague” letters where Members of Congress write one another to seek support for a specific program or funding level. Stay tuned for a forthcoming Advocacy Alert next week on this opportunity!
If we want to have strong levels for OAA programs and services when the next federal fiscal year begins on October 1, we need to start NOW and make the case!
For more information on n4a's advocacy efforts, contact our policy team at policy@n4a.org.