ADVOCATE: Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program
Earlier this week, the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Ed) Appropriations Subcommittee passed an increase in funding for theOlder Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program of $93 million over current levels, bringing total Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 funding to $1 billion!
If approved, this proposed increase would help support Meals on Wheels programs across the country to deliver critical services to seniors in need. This proposal mirrors the requests for a 10% increase in OAA Nutrition Program funding that we’ve been making collectively through letters, testimony, meal deliveries and site visits during March for Meals, meetings, regular communications and outreach, and more. While this funding increase is not yet final and there are multiple steps that must still occur in the appropriations process to bring it to fruition, this is an incredible testament to our network’s persistent advocacy efforts, and we can’t let up now.Following Tuesday’s
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Subcommittee markup, the House Labor-HHS-Ed spending bill will now go to the full House Appropriations Committee for consideration on or around May 8. This means we have a week to influence our Representatives at this point in the appropriations process and urge them to support the Subcommittee’s proposed increased funding for home-delivered and congregate nutrition programs.
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Urge Congress to support the proposed increase in funding for the OAA Nutrition Program, bringing total FY 2020 funding to $1 billion.