Bart Stupak: “To put the issue in proper perspective, the Meals-on-Wheels Association has endorsed our legislation, the…”

“To put the issue in proper perspective, the Meals-on-Wheels Association has endorsed our legislation, the Stupak-Boehlert amendment, and they have said, ``Because America's elderly population continues to be the fastest growing segment of the population, demands on nutrition programs for the elderly are increasing.'' So what are we doing? Our funding is staying flat and actually losing in real dollar amounts every year. The most comprehensive national studies to be conducted in recent years found that 41 percent of home-delivered meals had waiting lists. The relatively small investment, and as they said, what would three pennies mean, three pennies in meal programs that our amendment would provide would pay substantial dividends in helping to target malnutrition and isolation in the elderly, improving their nutritional and health status, and enabling many seniors to be able to stay in their home because they got a good meal.”