Baldwin urges more monies for senior citizen programs
Congress should bolster the Older Americans Act, a decades-old bill that supports senior citizens, said U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin during a visit to Eau Claire on Tuesday.
Baldwin, D-Wis., called for the reauthorization of the bill originally enacted in 1965 that provides federal funding for senior programs — including Meals on Wheels, senior centers and senior job training — during a public appearance at L.E. Phillips Senior Center.
The bill, last reauthorized in 2006, needs to be funded at higher levels because monies have not kept pace with inflation, and more seniors are struggling, Baldwin said.
“For seniors who are unable to travel, this can be a lifeline for them,” she said, referring specifically to Meals on Wheels.
She noted that under the current federal sequestration cuts, funding for Wisconsin’s Meals on Wheels programs has dropped 5 percent.
Baldwin answered a bevy of questions from local seniors. About 25 attended the roundtable discussion, and they expressed concerns about the availability of veterans benefits, the strength of various senior programs and access to health care.
Baldwin said she is visiting several senior centers throughout Wisconsin while Congress in on recess for Independence Day this week.
L.E. Phillips Senior Center director Mary Pica-Anderson said any money senior centers receive in the way of federal funding is helpful.
“We aren’t asking for a lot, but a little bit of support,” she said.
Baldwin also discussed the National Security Agency’s surveillance program and the Senate’s immigration bill.
Baldwin said she is among a group of 25 U.S. senators asking for more answers on the NSA’s collection of American citizens’ phone calls and how this might undermine civil liberties.
“I thought it blurred some important lines regarding our civil liberties,” Baldwin said of the program.
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., also has voiced concerns about the NSA program, telling a Milwaukee TV station the matter raises concerns regarding civil liberties.
The senators differed on the Senate’s recent immigration reform bill.
Baldwin, who voted for it, said the bill was an important piece of bipartisan legislation, noting it passed 68-32.
The bill would give 11 million illegal immigrants a path to citizenship and provide more funding for border security.
Johnson supports aspects of the bill but voted against it because it wouldn’t do enough to curb illegal immigration, he said in a statement.
