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Chairman ROYBAL. The Chair now recognizes Mr. Barrett.

STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE BILL BARRETT

Mr. BARRETT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a pleasure to have with us this morning members from the Select Committee on Aging to participate in our hearing on the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. I agree that we have some outstanding witnesses this morning.

I am very pleased that we are going to hear from, once again, Dr. Flemming who did such an outstanding job earlier. As you recall, Dr. Flemming, I was a little late into the last hearing before our subcommittee, and I hope to pick up on that conversation this morning.

I am very pleased also to have a representative from the Administration with us this morning, Dr. Joyce Berry, our Commissioner on Aging. Also, a representative from the Inspector General's Office in the Department of Health and Human Services, Mr. Mangano. I understand the Agency has just completed a study on costsharing. That is a subject that I have expressed an interest in, and some support for. The results, I think, are going to be very interesting and will certainly add a great deal to our debate in the future on cost-sharing.

Now, Mr. Chairman, as long as this is the last Washington-based hearing of the subcommittee on the Older Americans Act, it appears that this is certainly a matter on the fast track. I hope we will have a chance to debate issues like cost-sharing and data collection issues and other important issues confronting the Older Americans Act. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Chairman ROYBAL. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes Mr. Richardson.

STATEMENT OR REPRESENTATIVE BILL RICHARDSON

Mr. RICHARDSON. Thank you, Chairman Roybal. I am here as a member of this committee to see how we can improve the Older Americans Act. A lot of the proposals that the Administration has put forward have become controversial. I am particularly interested in the means testing that has been proposed, and I am concerned about it. I have always been concerned about any means testing when it comes to programs that affect the poor and the elderly, minorities that are targeted. I have had though, Mr. Chairman, in my state some concern about the legal services side of the Older Americans Act, some of my constituents urging that, in effect, we do consider means-tests.

I am a bit apprehensive about that, but as we move ahead in this legislation, I know we will be considering means testing for several of the services: transportation, nutrition, legal services. I am apprehensive about that, but there seems to be a growing view in some areas that we should consider this. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [The prepared statement of Mr. Richardson follows:]

APRIL 25, 1991

CONGRESSMAN BILL RICHARDSON

OPENING STATEMENT BEFORE AGING COMMITTEE HEARING
ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT

Mr. Chairman, I commend you for holding this important hearing on the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. The Older American's Act provides critically needed services to older Americans in my district and across the U.S.

In New Mexico, nutrition and transportation services are of special importance given the frontier and rural nature of the State. I am also particularly concerned about a matter that was brought to my attention by the Director of the State Agency on Aging. That is the fact that many older Americans who are capable of paying for legal services use the legal referral services authorized by the Act. In so doing, those in need of free legal services may not receive such services as the system is overwhelmed.

I will also be taking a special interest and concern in improving the transportation services of the Act during the reauthorization of the Act. Transportation services is an

important issue in New Mexico because of the many elderly individuals that live in rural areas. Without the transportation services provided by the Act, many of these individuals would not be able to get to their doctor's appointments, go to the bank or the grocery store. Unfortunately, while the need for these services is great, the available resources are not.

Mr. Chairman, I am hopeful that this hearing will bring about positive changes within the Act. I look forward to hearing from the distinguished witnesses.

Chairman ROYBAL. Mr. Nichols.

STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE DICK NICHOLS

Mr. NICHOLS. Mr. Chairman, I share the interest of the various members of this committee, Select Committee on Aging, in hearing the testimony. I think we have some excellent witnesses lined up. We would be most interested in hearing what they have to say. As one who frequently goes to senior centers and to other areas where the seniors congregate, I know firsthand how difficult it is for some of them to provide for the costs of the meals they so desperately need.

It should be, as you had mentioned earlier, the golden years. We want it to be that way. We want it to work out. We will be looking forward expectantly to the hearing.

Chairman ROYBAL. Thank you, Mr. Nichols. The Chair recognizes Mrs. Lowey.

STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE NITA M. LOWEY

Mrs. Lowey. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too would like to thank you for holding this hearing. I am particularly interested in hearing the testimony today, and I look forward to working with you in strengthening the Older Americans Act through the reauthorization process. I know in my community, as I tour the senior centers, the entire network that is provided to seniors is absolutely critical, including nutritional services, including the day care services. It is a lifeline for so many of our seniors.

I am very interested in continuing to explore how we can expand upon the preventive health care services that are so vital in many of our senior centers, and I look forward to working with you as we reauthorize the Act and strengthening our commitment to our seniors, and I thank you very much.

Chairman RoYBAL. Thank you, Mrs. Lowey. The Chair now recognizes Mr. Hobson.

STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE DAVID L. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Chairman, I too want to thank you for this hearing, and I had an interest in this issue when I was at the state legislature, but I came here this morning to hear one witness that I don't see out there yet. He has a lot of experience, and he was president of Ohio Wesleyan University when I attended Ohio Wesleyan University, Dr. Arthur Flemming. So this will be a special hearing for me because he was the president of the university during the four years that I attended Ohio Wesleyan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Chairman RoYBAL. Thank you. The Chair recognizes Mr. Downey.

STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS J. DOWNEY

Mr. DOWNEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to commend both you and Chairman Martinez for convening this joint hearing on the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, and I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the General Ac

counting Office for the many studies they have undertaken for all of us here today.

I am pleased to say at this point that we are heading in a positive direction relative to the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, and over the last four years, several prominent issues have emerged and are now getting the attention they deserve.

We seem to have a consensus on the following issues: A multiyear reauthorization of the Act of 3 to 4 years. We support the upgrading of the position of the Commissioner on Aging to Assistant Secretary, and we are encouraged by the action taken by Secretary Sullivan last week to make the Administration on Aging an independent agency. While it seems that not much is currently known as to the exact meaning of this decision, full control over AOA's budget and resources are a top priority. My Subcommittee on Human Services will be holding a hearing soon to provide the public with an opportunity to learn more about this particular decision.

Other issues of agreement are raising the authorization levels of the Act by 5 or 6 percent, to factor in inflation and the aging population growth, a growing interest in raising the visibility of legal services under the Act through a new elder rights' section, and there have been growing calls for an expanded commitment to transportation as an access to basic human and social services.

Where there is not consensus is the means towards these ends. The Older Americans Act is in need of additional non-federal resources now and in the future. How we get those resources is where there is disagreement. One approach says mandatory costsharing. I oppose this approach on the grounds that it violates the basic premise of the Act which is that it is not a means-tested program. It threatens to drive people out of the program including the needy. Mandatory cost-sharing is not needed when systems involving voluntary contributions work so well.

More information is needed on cost-sharing before we plunge in and create a type of program that goes against the mission of the Act. My subcommittee has recently completed a survey of just one segment of the aging community: state and area agency on aging directors. While the results of this survey give substantial arguments for as well as against cost-sharing, much more data is required before we move to alter the Older Americans Act. I would encourage all interested parties to the extent possible to survey their constituents on this very important issue.

Another approach for raising new revenue is the expanded use of the public/private partnerships, and I am confident that the concerns surrounding these partnerships can be resolved, and I encourage their development.

There are other issues that need to be addressed during this reauthorization. Among them are targeting; increasing the participation rates of minority elderly; evaluating the transfer authority language in the Act since all the money is coming from one program and is weakening it; restoring the Title V budget cuts and encouraging the Administration to perfect their dissemination capabilities so that those in the aging network can benefit from information that AoA has funded and collected.

Finally, we should work together as a team to ensure the final outcome of the Older Americans Act is a product we cannot only be proud of but aids all those the Act was intended to serve when it was created 26 years ago. I look forward to working with both chairmen, members of the committee, and the Administration on reauthorization. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Downey follows:]

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