MOWAA Legislative Alert
Monday, March 24th, 2008
As we reported in our Legislative Alert last week, the Senate Budget Resolution included a Smith-Lincoln amendment to increase FY 2009 funding for Older Americans Act programs by $184 million over current fiscal year levels. Now Senators Smith and Lincoln have taken their advocacy and support to the next level. They are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter to the other Members of the Senate to ask that every Senator sign a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member (that is, the Democrat and Republican leader) of the Appropriations Subcommittee to include the $184 million increase in the Senate funding bill. You can click on the link below to see a copy of that letter. That $184 million would be spread across Older Americans Act programs, and it would mean an approximately 9 percent increase for meal programs.
Members of the Senate are back in their home states now for the Easter Break, so we suggest that you take advantage of the opportunity to contact your two Senators and ask that they agree to sign the bipartisan letter in support of increased funding for our programs. You may even want to forward along a copy of the “Dear Colleague” to clarify which letter you are talking about and to reiterate your point.
In the House, our good friend Congressman Frank LoBiondo of New Jersey has included a request for $184 million as part of his personal priorities submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee. Although there is no “Dear Colleague” circulating in the House at this time, we would still encourage you to ask your Representatives in the House to support this funding level. We expect LoBiondo and others will be circulating letters later in the spring.
Please click here to see the “Dear Colleague” letter
Meals On Wheels Association of America
As we reported in our Legislative Alert last week, the Senate Budget Resolution included a Smith-Lincoln amendment to increase FY 2009 funding for Older Americans Act programs by $184 million over current fiscal year levels. Now Senators Smith and Lincoln have taken their advocacy and support to the next level. They are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter to the other Members of the Senate to ask that every Senator sign a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member (that is, the Democrat and Republican leader) of the Appropriations Subcommittee to include the $184 million increase in the Senate funding bill. You can click on the link below to see a copy of that letter. That $184 million would be spread across Older Americans Act programs, and it would mean an approximately 9 percent increase for meal programs.
Members of the Senate are back in their home states now for the Easter Break, so we suggest that you take advantage of the opportunity to contact your two Senators and ask that they agree to sign the bipartisan letter in support of increased funding for our programs. You may even want to forward along a copy of the “Dear Colleague” to clarify which letter you are talking about and to reiterate your point.
In the House, our good friend Congressman Frank LoBiondo of New Jersey has included a request for $184 million as part of his personal priorities submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee. Although there is no “Dear Colleague” circulating in the House at this time, we would still encourage you to ask your Representatives in the House to support this funding level. We expect LoBiondo and others will be circulating letters later in the spring.
Please click here to see the “Dear Colleague” letter
Meals On Wheels Association of America