Arlington, VA, December 18, 2015 – Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander today issued the following statement regarding the passage of H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act.
Today, we commend the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for their leadership and support, as well as their staffs, for their work to produce this bipartisan bill that funds the federal government and makes important investments in senior nutrition programs, like Meals on Wheels. While H.R. 2029 is not perfect, we are pleased Congress approved this legislation that increases funding for Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Programs by more than $20 million.
At a time in our nation’s history when both the need and demand for nutritious meals are already substantial and will continue to grow exponentially, it is critical that proven and effective programs serving our most vulnerable seniors are further strengthened. The increased funding provided in H.R. 2029 for OAA congregate and home-delivered nutrition programs, and the commodity supplemental food program, among others, is an important down payment to that end.
When Congress returns in January, we will continue to urge lawmakers to look to nutrition programs like Meals on Wheels as part of the solution to our long-term fiscal challenges, to increase investments in order to keep up with the growing demand, and to reauthorize the OAA which supports the infrastructure that enables millions of seniors to grow older in their own communities and live with the independence and dignity they deserve.
H.R. 2029, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, passed by a vote of 316 to 113 in the House and 65 to 33 in the Senate. The bill text, along with supplemental materials, can be found here.
S.192, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2015, passed unanimously in the Senate in July and is currently pending in the House. A summary of the legislation can be found here.
Press Contact:
Jenny Bertolette
Meals on Wheels America
571-339-1603
jenny@mealsonwheelsamerica.org