December 20, 2024 Advocacy Alert




Time Is Almost Up: Reach Out TODAY to Congress to Protect OAA Reauthorization!


December 20, 2024

Snapshot
(A 30-second read for busy people)
  • In an attempt to prevent a government shutdown, House members are considering a new spending proposal, but it is still unclear if a deal will be reached. This comes after a failed vote last night on a Republican CR created to respond to attacks by President-Elect Trump and businessman Elon Musk to the bipartisan omnibus bill that included other pieces of legislation with broad support, such as OAA reauthorization and two years of MIPPA funding, among many other provisions. OAA Reauthorization was not included in the last CR and is still at risk with just hours left for Congress to come to an agreement.
  • Action Needed: Call and email your Representatives AND Senators TODAY by using our template below. Create noise on social media and spread the word as much as possible in your community because time is running out to get OAA over the finish line!

The Latest on Government Funding and OAA Reauthorization
 
In their scramble to prevent a government shutdown, House Republicans are considering a new spending proposal, and it is unclear whether a deal will be reached. This action comes after a failed vote in the House last night on Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) first attempt to respond to criticism in his caucus of the bipartisan deal he brokered, which was derailed by disapproval from businessman and Trump advisor Elon Musk and the President-Elect himself. With Speaker Johnson losing yet another vote to keep the government open, the risk of a shutdown has increased exponentially. If the House cannot move a CR or broader bill forward to the Senate today, a short-term shutdown, at the very least, is inevitable.
 
Meanwhile, USAging’s top priority of OAA reauthorization remains sidelined and in danger of being left behind. USAging has sent hundreds of messages to House staffers urging them to ensure OAA reauthorization is not left out of any spending deals. We need your continued LOUD advocacy to get OAA back into any moving piece of legislation in this Congress!
 
Take Action Now

STEP 1: EVEN IF YOU ALREADY TOOK ACTION, email and call your Representatives AND Senators again urging them to ensure that OAA reauthorization is included in any bill the House passes this week! Use our email template below to get started and be sure to customize it to your agency/community. Contact their DC and district offices; email addresses and phone numbers can be found by clicking herePlease be sure to send an email and make a phone call to any House Members whose constituents you serve!
 
Even if you already reached out to your member recently, reach out again and try a different method! If you sent an email yesterday, make a phone call. If you made a phone call, send an email! There is no such thing as too much communication with members of Congress; keep reaching out to your House members until we get the protection needed for OAA reauthorization! Though all eyes are on House members right now, Senators need to hear from you today as well, so they know how important OAA reauthorization is for the health and well-being of older adults!
 
Email Template to Your Representatives (or adapt for phone calls)
Note: Areas with yellow highlighting require customization.

Dear [Representative NAME]:
 
On behalf of [AGENCY NAME] in [AGENCY LOCATION AND STATE], we are writing to urge you to ensure that the bipartisan Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S.4776), which passed the Senate on December 10 and was included in the bipartisan omnibus legislation earlier this week, is included in any moving legislation in the House before the end of the year.
 
The OAA reauthorization provisions are critically important to our agency and the older adults and family caregivers we serve in your district.
 
I’d be happy to share how the OAA supports the older adults and family caregivers in your district and our agency’s role in providing critical programs and services to help older adults age well at home. Please do whatever you can to ensure this vital update to the law is restored in any final CR or other legislation passed by the House this month!
 
Sincerely,
 
[NAME, affiliation, address, etc.]

STEP 2: Engage your provider network. Urge your vendors/providers, advisory board members and other important stakeholders to send their own emails to their Representatives. Please do all you can to amplify the message and engage others who understand the value of OAA and MIPPA in their community! Forward this Alert to your networks or edit it to be best received by your agency’s advocates. Your advocacy will help to ensure OAA is reauthorized before the new year!
 
STEP 3: Get loud on social media. Beyond engaging your members of Congress directly, everyone needs to know how important OAA reauthorization is to the health and well-being of older adults. Draw more attention to this critical issue by posting on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X! Any and all communication about OAA reauthorization can put us one step closer to ensuring important programs for older adults are protected. Use our social media toolkit for social media outreach and see below for sample social media posts.
 
  • Facebook: America’s older adults are at risk of getting left behind as Older Americans Act reauthorization has fallen out of recent House proposals to temporarily fund the government. As Congress considers new options to prevent a government shutdown, we need them to know how critical Older Americans Act programs and services are to the health and well-being of older adults across the country. Millions of families rely on Older Americans Act services and supports to help their loved ones age at home and in the community. Please contact your Representatives AND Senators, Congress can get this done this year, but they need to hear from YOU!
  • Instagram: Act NOW! Older adults are at risk of being left behind by the federal government with #OlderAmericansAct reauthorization put on the sidelines. Congress is considering new spending proposals to prevent a government shutdown and, with just hours left until the deadline, they need to hear from you! 
  • LinkedIn: Tell Congress to Include Older Americans Act reauthorization in the End-of-Year Spending Package! Older adults are at risk of being left behind by the federal government with Older Americans Act Reauthorization put on the sidelines. Congress is considering new spending proposals to prevent a government shutdown and, with just hours left until the deadline, they need to hear from you! 
  • X: #OlderAdults are at risk of being left behind by the federal government with #OlderAmericansAct Reauthorization put on the sidelines. Congress is considering new spending proposals to prevent a government shutdown and, with just hours left until the deadline, they need to hear from you!
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If you have questions or concerns about this Advocacy Alert or USAging’s policy positions, please contact the USAging Policy Team, Amy Gotwals, Olivia Umoren and Seth Ickes at policy@usaging.org.


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