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n4a and Actor Michael Kelly Advocate for OAA Funding

Building on his efforts earlier this year to help push OAA reauthorization over the finish line, “House of Cards” actor Michael Kelly, who is also the son of long-time Aging Network professional Maureen Kelly, joined Maureen and n4a staff on Capitol Hill this week to encourage lawmakers to increase funding for Older Americans Act and other aging programs. 

The group met with more than 15 key Members of Congress over the course of the day, urging them to support the House-recommended funding levels for OAA.
 
Congress has until September 30 to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government and prevent a shutdown before the election. The CR package that was released yesterday in the Senate provides funding for federal programs, including OAA, until December 9, but it also includes a 0.5 percent across-the-board cut for all programs to stay within FY 2017 budget caps. 

Lawmakers are expected to continue negotiating on this bill before final passage next week, and n4a will have an update for members about details of a negotiated deal. 

Following the election, lawmakers are expected to get to work on longer-term appropriations outlining funding through the rest of FY 2017. n4a and other advocates have been calling for lawmakers to adopt the Older Americans Act program levels included in the funding bill that the House proposed last summer, which included a number of modest increases for OAA titles, including Title III B, and also rejected the Senate-proposed elimination of the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and cuts to older worker programs.
 
To see pictures from the Hill visits made this week, visit our Facebook photo album.

 

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