Senior Independence Act of 2006
SENIOR INDEPENDENCE ACT OF 2006 -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 27, 2006)
SPEECH OF
HON. DANNY K. DAVIS
OF ILLINOIS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2006
* Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill which reauthorizes the Older Americans Act. This act was developed with the goals of improving the lives of older people in areas of income, housing, health, employment, retirement, and community service. At the outset, I have to commend and thank Chairman MCKEON, Ranking Member MILLER, Subcommittee Chairman TIBERI, and Subcommittee Ranking Member HINOJOSA for this incredible bipartisan bill. This has been one of the most bipartisan efforts in which I have engaged during my tenure in Congress. Also, I extend my sincerest appreciation to the majority and minority staff members for working diligently to address my concerns. Also, I would like to thank the delegates of the White House Conference I on Aging for their input on and promotion of this reauthorization. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill.
* Mr. Speaker, I have a Seniors and Eldercare Taskforce composed of a wonderful group of experts who advise me on key issues regarding seniors in my district--the great city of Chicago. I want to recognize and thank the cochairs of this taskforce--Karen Graham and Phyllis Mitzen--and the members of this taskforce for their leadership and attention to the needs of seniors in Chicago.'' This act advances many areas of concern to my district. Foremost, it expands access of younger grandparents to the National Family Caregiver Support Program, and it encourages states to adopt Kinship Navigator programs for relative caregivers. In the United States, 2.4 million grandparents are responsible for raising grandchildren in their homes. My congressional district has over 10,000 grandparent-headed households; it has the second highest percentage of children living in grandparent-headed households in the nation. This bill aids these caregivers with services that help in their care giving responsibilities. Further, the
bill promotes community based services via self-directed models of care. It specifically directs the Assistant Secretary on Aging to help individuals avoid depleting their assets in order to qualify for Medicaid. This bill would reduce instances of abuse and neglect and improve data collection on the subject by broadening the definition of abuse to include self neglect and better coordinating the efforts of state and local agencies, building on the ideas promoted by my colleague from Illinois, Mr. Emmanuel. I also am very happy that the bill emphasizes the importance of mental health in many ways, drawing on the spirit of the Positive Aging Act sponsored by Mr. KENNEDY.
* Mr. Speaker, The 38th Vice President of the United States, Hubert Humphrey, once said, ``The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life ..... the children [and] those who are in the twilight of life ..... the elderly.'' The Senior Independence Act of 2006 ensures that our Government continues to recognize the needs of the elder within our country and continues to fulfill these needs.
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