Rubén Hinojosa: “May is Older Americans Month. Let us celebrate Older Americans Month by passing a budget that will promote their dignity…”

“May is Older Americans Month. Let us celebrate Older Americans Month by passing a budget that will promote their dignity and health. The once-per-decade White House Conference on Aging put reauthorization of the Older Americans Act at the top of its list of national priorities. I am proud that we are working in a bipartisan manner to pass a consensus bill to reauthorize this essential law that has built the foundation for our aging network. However, we must couple reauthorization with real resources. We know that every dollar spent providing a meal or supporting seniors so that they can remain at home and in their communities not only improves their quality of life, but saves entitlement spending on long-term care. That is the genius of the Older Americans Act. Yet we know that the Older Americans Act's purchasing power per individual has dropped by 50 percent since 1980. It is incumbent upon all of us to step up and invest in these programs. It is one sure way to help control the cost of our growing entitlement programs. It is the right thing to do. ____________________”