Committee on Education and the Workforce
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Committee member,
On behalf of the millions of members and supporters of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, I write to urge you to vote for H. Res. 344, the resolution of inquiry introduced by Representative Suzanne Bonamici regarding the President’s and Secretary of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) proposed elimination of the Administration for Community Living.
As members of the committee of jurisdiction, you know that the Administration for Community Living (ACL) manages most of the Older Americans Act programs. For decades, the Older Americans Act has enjoyed bipartisan support because it has succeeded in building effective home and community-based services to help seniors age well in the setting of their choice.
But the Older Americans Act’s (OAA) mission is in doubt now that the administration has proposed ending ACL and moving OAA programs that will continue to be funded to other HHS agencies. As a result, for the first time in the program’s nearly 60-year history, there will be no agency at HHS with staff expertise exclusively devoted to administering essential programs like home-delivered and congregate meals, transportation, caregiver support and elder rights protection. We believe the proposal to shutter ACL is a grave mistake that will be at the expense of older Americans across the country.
For that reason and at the very least, we urge you to vote for H. Res. 344 because it will compel the administration to explain the proposed end of ACL, staff reductions at the agency and how HHS will continue to manage OAA programs and grants without ACL and its experienced staff.
Sincerely,
Max Richtman
President and CEO