July 7, 2022 Advocacy Alert
Contact Your Senators TODAY for Tomorrow’s FY 2023 Funding!
It’s Time for the Senate to Champion OAA Increases
July 7, 2022
With just a few weeks left to influence Senate spending recommendations, we must use this narrow window to safeguard the strongest possible levels for OAA funding in FY 2023. As we highlighted in our most recent Legislative Update, House Democrats unveiled their initial proposal of $2.9 billion for the Administration for Community Living (ACL) last week. All eyes now turn to Senate appropriators as they draft their spending bills, expected to be released by month’s end.
In order to finalize all FY 2023 discretionary funding bills, including those for OAA and other critical aging programs, Senate Democrats and Republicans will need to agree on funding levels for thousands of individual programs. We know that bipartisan, bicameral negotiations will be challenging, and we expect to see initial numbers significantly reduced in order to secure Republican support for a final bill. However, because most proposed OAA funding only saw increases of 12 to 20 percent in the House bill, we cannot afford to lose ground during this initial Senate appropriations process. It’s imperative we push the Senate to champion USAging’s FY 2023 funding requests or, at minimum, support the House-passed levels.
We must ensure that FY 2023 appropriations figures reflect the ongoing and growing need to sustain and expand the life-saving programs and services you deliver. Senate appropriators must understand the incredible work you have done, why it matters to the health and independence of their constituents—and that this work needs to be sufficiently funded.
We are calling on all AAAs, Title VI Native American Aging Programs and all your local allies to raise your voices in support of Older Americans Act funding today! We need you to reach out to your Senators and have them commit to supporting the highest possible spending levels—the House-passed levels or higher—to support older adults and caregivers in their communities!
Take Action Now!
It is imperative that all Senators hear from their OAA champions in their state and constituents who benefit from the OAA programs and services that your agency delivers.
STEP 1: Visit USAging’s FY 2023 Appropriations Campaign Page to assist your efforts. Our resources include everything you need to take action.
- Updated grassroots template letters (AAA and Title VI versions)
- Current appropriations chart
- USAging appropriations request letter to Congress
- 2022 USAging Policy Priorities
It is important that you take the time to localize your request. Give local statistics that demonstrate the need for an increase in OAA funding and make sure to highlight the growing demand for services in your community. Explain what increased OAA funding would mean for the older adults and caregivers in your community, tribe or state.
STEP 2: Make Your Support for Boosted OAA Funding Public. Don’t allow older adults, caregivers and your volunteers/workforce get lost in the onslaught of news. Promote your story, elevate THEIR stories! Email or post a short note to Senators on social media. Congressional offices monitor their email/website traffic for constituent correspondence, and personal messages resonate most.
STEP 3: Engage Your Provider Network. Enlist fellow advocates! Urge your providers, advisory council members and other important stakeholders to send their own letters to Senators or post to social media. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of OAA in their community! You’re welcome to forward this Alert to your networks or edit it to be best received by your advocates.
We are running out of time, so we need all AAAs, Title VI Native American Aging Programs and local allies to raise your voices in support of Older Americans Act funding. We must ensure that all Members of Congress know how important increased, stable, federal funding for OAA is to promote the health, well-being and independence of their older constituents and those who care for them.
Stay tuned for more updates from USAging and as always, we thank you for your advocacy!
--
If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or USAging’s policy positions, please contact Amy Gotwals at agotwals@usaging.org and Monica Billger at mbillger@usaging.org.
STEP 2: Make Your Support for Boosted OAA Funding Public. Don’t allow older adults, caregivers and your volunteers/workforce get lost in the onslaught of news. Promote your story, elevate THEIR stories! Email or post a short note to Senators on social media. Congressional offices monitor their email/website traffic for constituent correspondence, and personal messages resonate most.
STEP 3: Engage Your Provider Network. Enlist fellow advocates! Urge your providers, advisory council members and other important stakeholders to send their own letters to Senators or post to social media. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of OAA in their community! You’re welcome to forward this Alert to your networks or edit it to be best received by your advocates.
We are running out of time, so we need all AAAs, Title VI Native American Aging Programs and local allies to raise your voices in support of Older Americans Act funding. We must ensure that all Members of Congress know how important increased, stable, federal funding for OAA is to promote the health, well-being and independence of their older constituents and those who care for them.
Stay tuned for more updates from USAging and as always, we thank you for your advocacy!
--
If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or USAging’s policy positions, please contact Amy Gotwals at agotwals@usaging.org and Monica Billger at mbillger@usaging.org.