September 11, 2024 Advocacy Alert




Act Now: Urge Your Lawmakers to Stop Funding Cuts to Critical OAA Programs


September 11, 2024
Snapshot  
(A 30-second read for busy people) 
  • This summer, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees approved their respective FY 2025 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bills. The House bill proposed major cuts to important Older Americans Act (OAA) programs and modest increases to others, but the Senate bill rejected the major cuts and proposed level funding for virtually all OAA programs. Both chambers are set to reconvene in the coming days, and now is the time to advocate against any cuts to OAA programs in the final spending bill. 
  • Take Action Now: To prevent any funding cuts to OAA programs, please send a letter to (and meet with!) your lawmakers in both chambers. Visit our FY 2025 appropriations campaign page to access a customizable template letter to get started! 

Congress returns to Capitol Hill this week, and now is the time to re-engage with your lawmakers on the FY 2025 appropriations process! With only a few weeks until the September 30 funding deadline, Congress will be working to pass either a continuing resolution (CR) or a full spending package to avoid a government shutdown. So far, the House has passed five of 12 spending bills, while the Senate has not passed any. USAging expects that Congress will pass a several-month CR before October 1, but it is very important for Aging Network advocates to keep up the pressure! Behind the scenes this fall, the appropriators will be working on a final bill and negotiating differences between their respective bills.  
 
This is why we need advocates to act immediately to prevent any cuts to OAA or other Aging Network programs! 
 
The FY 2025 Appropriations Timeline to Date 

 
On June 27, the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Subcommittee approved an FY 2025 appropriations bill that contained major cuts to OAA programs, including: 
  • A $37 million overall cut to OAA nutrition services for FY 2025, including congregate and home-delivered meals programs. 
  • No funding for OAA Title V Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), eliminating access to federally funded employment assistance and job training programs for low-income older adults. 
  • The elimination of federal funding for Adult Protective Services. 
The House bill included a modest increase in USAging’s top priority, OAA Title III B Supportive Services, and significant increases to another priority, Title VI Native American Aging Programs!  
 
On August 1, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved their version of the Labor-HHS bill. Although USAging’s top OAA priorities did not receive the increases desired, the Senate proposed FY 2024 funding levels for OAA programs and rejected the proposed House cuts. For more details on the Senate bill, members can read our recent Legislative Update.  
 
View USAging’s Appropriations Chart.  
 
What’s Next? 

 
Over the next few weeks (and likely months), Congress will continue negotiating for a final FY 2025 appropriations bill. While a complete package covering all 12 spending bills would be ideal, it’s unlikely to occur by the September 30 deadline. Even with an expected CR, however, advocacy is needed now.  
 
We are advocating for a final bill to reflect increased or level funding for OAA programs and dismisses the proposed cuts from the House bill. Read on for details on how to join us!  
 
Take Action Now!  
 

Contact your lawmakers today to advocate for the highest possible level of funding for OAA programs and services. Read USAging’s letter to Congress and use our newly updated templates to customize your asks to reflect your agency/program: AAA template, Title VI template. Give your Members of Congress a sense of how their communities are affected—take the time to localize what this funding means for the older adults and caregivers in your community, tribe or state. Check out USAging’s FY 2025 appropriations campaign page for additional resources. 
 
STEP 1: Put your requests in writing! Use our customizable templates (AAA/Title VI) to send a letter to your lawmakers! We encourage you to use your agency’s letterhead, but if that is not feasible, send it from your Advisory Board or even yourself as a private citizen. Or do all three! You can find the contact information on your Members’ websites: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov
 
STEP 2: Make your support for OAA funding public. Find out if any of your agency’s stakeholders know the Members of Congress serving your community or if they will be seeing them at any virtual or in-person events. If so, ask that they put in a good word for OAA funding and its impact in your community.  
 
STEP 3: Schedule meetings and visits with your lawmakers. Request virtual meetings with your Members of Congress—all you have to do is ask! (Tip: Put the request in writing. Call or email the DC office to ensure your request gets to the scheduler.) 
 
STEP 4: Engage your provider network. Urge your vendors/providers, advisory board members and other important stakeholders to send their own letters to Congress. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of OAA in their communities! Forward this Alert to your networks or edit it to be best received by your agency’s advocates. 
 
Stay tuned for more updates from USAging, and check out USAging’s FY 2025 appropriations campaign page for additional grassroots resources. As always, we thank you for your advocacy! 
 
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If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or USAging’s policy positions, please contact Amy Gotwals, Olivia Umoren and Seth Ickes at policy@usaging.org.


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