Thomas Mott Osborne: “as an older American, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5293, the Senior Independence Act, which reauthorizes the Older…”

“as an older American, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5293, the Senior Independence Act, which reauthorizes the Older American Act. And I want to congratulate Chairman Tiberi, who is not an older American, but he is getting there, as well as Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Miller and Mr. Hinojosa. The Senior Independence Act, as has been pointed out many times, reauthorizes and strengthens the delivery of social services for older Americans. In my State, Nebraska, 13.6 percent of our population are over 65. In most States, the average is between 10 and 15 percent, and this is a very rapidly increasing percentage. So this is an important segment of our population, and I would like to focus in my brief time here on the significance and the possibilities that lie before seniors. President Bush stated this. He said, ``Too often society views retirement as an ending not just of a career, but of an active life. For many, even most, the opposite is true. Today's elderly are the healthiest, most energetic, best-educated generation of seniors in history. They have more free time, and they want to use it. They have the wisdom of years, and they want to share it.'' So seniors are a vast untapped resource in our society, and so we think that we need to better harness those abilities and those talents that they have. During committee consideration of this legislation, I along with Mr.…”