Chuck Grassley: “I support Senator Mikulski's amendment because there are a unique group of older Americans who will not be properly…”

“I support Senator Mikulski's amendment because there are a unique group of older Americans who will not be properly served by Senator Kassebaum's new program, as well-intentioned as it is. Title V provides community service employment. In my State of Iowa, the program provided a total of 402,480 hours of service just in this year. These workers serve in public schools, child care centers, city museums and parks, as child care workers, library aides, kitchen workers; they work for Head Start, YMCA, YWCA, the Alzheimer's Association, the Salvation Army, the Easter Seal Society, and the American Red Cross. They work in activities that support as well the other Older Americans Act programs like senior centers, congregate meal sites, and home-delivered meals. I think this is a good use of taxpayers' money because it leverages private funds and other public funds. Senator Kassebaum's bill will not lead to programs providing such employment. The Senator's legislation will help individuals find gainful private sector employment, and there is nothing wrong with that. That is a proper focus. But it is not a focus which is going to assist the kind of individuals currently enrolled in title V programs--people 55 years and older, less than 115 percent of poverty. We are talking about low-income older Americans. Thirty percent of these workers are over 70 years of age. Eighty-one percent are over 60 years of age.”