| COMMUNITY
SERVICES
Older
Americans Act
What
initiatives would you advance to support and augment the Older Americans
Act and the vital services it provides to millions of older adults?
[ Bush ]
Response Pending
[ Braun ]
The Older American Act made strides in providing services to the elderly.
Through the unfortunate policies of the current Administration, funding
for programs under the Older Americans Act have seen repeated cuts in
funding. The shortfall in funding to states result in program cuts,
and additional financial burdens upon America's working families. In
order to provide for the elderly and to better ensure that younger families
aren't faced with choosing between medication for their parents and
college savings for their children, as President, I will make funding
programs for America's older people a priority.
[ Clark ]
The Older Americans Act is an important pillar of our long-term care
and elderly care system in America. I support full funding for Title
III of the Act, and we need to make sure such funding keeps pace with
inflation and the growth of the elderly population. It's unacceptable
that there are currently waiting lists for many OOA services. Moreover,
we need to look at ways to better coordinate the services provided through
the OOA with Social Services Block Grant programs, and we should increase
flexibility for Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) in planning, coordinating
and delivering services under the Act.
[ Dean ]
Support of home and community based senior services must continue to
grow as America ages in the 21st Century. This is especially true for
the Older Americans Act, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2005.
It provides support for senior centers, adult day care, nutrition programs,
legal assistance, family caregiver support, elder abuse prevention,
transportation and community-service employment for low-income seniors.
The Older Americans Act is cost effective, as it keeps at-risk seniors
at home or in the community rather than in nursing homes. Yet its funding
has not even kept pace with inflation these past 10 years. We need to
reverse that trend. As president, it will be my priority to strengthen
this critically important program as part of meeting the challenges
of an aging nation.
[ Edwards ]
The Older Americans Act is critical for promoting, coordinating, and
enhancing access to long-term care services. While Medicaid provides
needed health care services, OAA fill important social services gaps
that might otherwise leave persons vulnerable. The OAA provides core
services to help people stay in their home and community, including
home-delivered meals, personal care, case management, adult day care,
and, assisted transportation. In most areas, the OAA funds Area Agencies
on Aging (AAAs) to provide a single point of access to a broad range
of long-term care.
Under President Bush, funding for the Administration on Aging budget,
which included funding for OAA, has dropped slightly. With baby boomers
aging, we must increase funding to these programs and start to build
the infrastructure needed to respond to the greater numbers of people
who will need services. My Living with Dignity Initiative lays the groundwork
for strengthening the long-term care system. I will also seek funding
to support all aspects of the OAA.
[ Gephardt ]
The Older Americans Act has had a positive impact on the lives of senior
citizens across America. The programs it enables - such as community
service programs, meal delivery programs, and family caregiver programs
- give support and guidance to seniors and their families. As president,
I would seek to support and bolster all programs within the Older Americans
Act so that seniors may continue to live full and productive lives,
and I would start by making sure these programs are fully funded. Our
seniors should not be harmed by habitual underfunding of the Older Americans
Act. Funding of these programs should be a priority.
[ Kerry ]
The Older Americans Act has been an indispensable source of support
for millions of older Americans who wish to maintain their independence.
I will provide strong support to the OAA by ensuring adequate federal
funding so that all of OAA's critical programs are strong from Meals
on Wheels to Family Caregivers.
I will also augment the services provided by the OAA with a new initiative.
The potential of seniors as a resource to help each other is enormous.
I will expand the Senior Corps program and call on seniors to use their
experiences and energies for the good of the nation in a new Retired
Not Tired program. In exchange for 10 hours of service a week, members
will earn up to $2,000 a year tax free that they can apply to an education
grant for a family member or to defray their own health care costs.
As the baby boomers retire, more Americans have long term care needs.
Seniors have the credibility and compassion to help fellow seniors who
are infirm in a way no one else can. Participants in my senior service
program will be able to offer seniors support to live independently
in a number of ways- including pick up their prescriptions and checking
in on them regularly to make sure they are doing well.
[ Kucinich ]
Kucinich is supportive of nearly all programs that improve
services to seniors including those that would restore the Social Services
Block Grant to its pre-welfare reform level of $2.8 billion and restore
the ability to transfer 10% of TANF to the SSBG, and increased funding
for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), Title V
of the Older Americans Act (OAA) to provide jobs for low income Americans
age 55 and older. He was a cosponsor of the reauthorization of the OAA,
which also includes funding for the National Family Caregiver Support
Program and other significant programs for seniors.
Kucinich strongly supports programs that offer opportunities for all
people to participate in public service, from Peace Corps to AmeriCorps
to Senior Corps. He is committed to raising awareness of and breaking
down barriers to service opportunities within federal government agencies,
and encourages not only volunteerism but also detailing, stipends, and
grants for such opportunities. The Kucinich Administration will divert
extra resources to volunteer programs that support community building
and peaceful reconciliation, and will work to incorporate these programs
into schools across the country. Kucinich has recently introduced a
bill to create a cabinet-level U.S. Department of Peace which also seeks
to develop a Peace Academy for instruction in peace education and non-violent
conflict resolution. Graduates of this four-year course would be required
to serve five years in public service in domestic or international nonviolent
conflict resolution programs. This plan will serve as a powerful asset
to both public services and the establishment of peace.
[ Lieberman ]
Throughout my tenure in the Senate I have fully supported the Older
Americans Act. As President, I will continue to support the funding
necessary to allow the vital programs under the OAA to serve as many
seniors as possible, especially as the baby boomers retires and the
need for such programs grows. In addition, my long term care affordability
plan will complement the programs under the OAA to help seniors plan
for and pay for their long term care needs.
[ Sharpton ]
Response Pending
Social
Services Block Grant
Would you support the restoration of the Social Services Block Grant
authorization level to at least its pre-welfare reform level of $2.8
billion and restore the ability of states to transfer 10% of TANF (Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families) funds to SSBG?
[ Bush ]
Response Pending
[ Braun ]
As a United State Senator, I opposed Welfare Reform because I realized
that it would only succeed in pushing more of our most fragile populations
(women, children, and the elderly) into poverty. In the years since
welfare reform was enacted, more seniors are living in poverty, facing
food insecurity, and have impermanent housing. As President, I will
address the draconian measures of the welfare reform act by returning
compassion to the White House. Rather than siphoning funds from the
TANF program to serve the needs of the elderly, SSBG programs should
be more fully funded at the federal level.
[ Clark ]
Yes. States use the Social Services Block Grant to provide vital services
to poor and elderly Americans. Though the 1996 welfare reform has been
a success in certain respects, this success does not reduce the need
for state services made possible by the SSBG.
[ Dean ]
Similarly we need a new commitment to the Social Services Block Grant
which provides important community services to seniors as part of some
14 million individuals and families that it serves. Social Service Block
Grant Funding is the largest source of funding for adult protective
services. It is also a critical component of intergenerational support
for those in need in this country. It is a program that clearly needs
our support. Yet, we have seen its funding reduced by some $1 billion
over the past several years. Again, it is time to reverse that trend.
We need to begin to chart a course which restores that funding to ensure
the needs of America’s seniors are met in the years ahead.
[ Edwards ]
The Social Services Block Grant is one of the most valuable programs
for our vulnerable citizens. I support the goal of restoring Social
Services Block Grant funding to $2.8 billion.
[ Gephardt ]
Yes
[ Kerry ]
The Social Services Block Grant provides essential services to the most
vulnerable Americans. The federal government must live up to its commitment.
I will restore the SSBG authorization to its pre welfare reform level
and restore the ability of states to transfer 10% of TANF funds to the
Social Services Block Grant
[ Kucinich ]
Refer to the above Community Service Response
[ Lieberman ]
Yes. I authored legislation (The Charity Aid, Recovery, and Empowerment
Act of 2002) that fully restored SSBG funding and restored the 10% transfer.
[ Sharpton ]
Response Pending
Senior
Employment Program
Would you support a ten percent increase in SCSEP, which would provide
over 6,000 additional jobs for low-income Americans age 55 and older?
[ Bush ]
Response Pending
[ Braun ]
Yes
[ Clark ]
Yes.
[ Dean ]
I am a strong supporter of senior employment and volunteer programs.
Anyone who has traveled the country, or been active in their state or
local community, knows that seniors want to remain active in their community
whether through work or volunteer activities. We need to continue to
strengthen programs that take advantage of the great experience of our
seniors. I believe we need to continue to invest in the Senior Community
Employment Program which is targeted to low-income seniors and supports
seniors working on behalf of other seniors in their communities. The
benefits this program provides, for both individuals and their communities,
is a critical piece of our nation’s senior agenda and one that
is worthy of our continued and increasing support. Similarly, we need
to strengthen the National Senior Service Corps to build upon the successes
of the many fabulous senior volunteer programs throughout our nation
today. As president, I will carefully consider what should be an appropriate
increase in funding for these critically important programs.
[ Edwards ]
Yes. The Senior Community Service Employment program creates jobs for
low income Americans over the age of 55 at community or government agencies.
These jobs provide additional income to poor adults, while drawing on
the skills of senior citizens to address local needs.
[ Gephardt ]
Yes
[ Kerry ]
I believe it is critical to provide to low income Americans over the
age of 55 with the resources they need to enhance their economic security.
To that end, I will support an increase in SCSEP funding.
[ Kucinich ]
Refer to the above Community Service response
[ Lieberman ]
I fully support seniors in the workplace if they choose to or need to
work for economic reasons. The SCSEP program is an important way to
keep seniors involved and engaged in their communities. As President
I will carefully look at the SCSEP funding levels and I will keep in
mind the vital funding it provides for low income seniors.
[ Sharpton ]
Response Pending
Senior
Volunteer Programs
What plans do you have to support and, further, what other plans would
you implement to make the best use of seniors as a resource in service
to their communities and, specifically, would you support a goal of
doubling the number of senior volunteers sponsored through the National
Senior Service Corps over the next five years?
[ Bush ]
Response Pending
[ Braun ]
Our society will benefit when we can tap the talents of every American.
America's seniors can lend wisdom, skills and abilities to the community
through participation in the National Senior Service Corps. As the baby-boomer
generation ages, the capacity of programs that take advantage of their
talents, skills, and abilities must be expanded, so that our society
continues to benefit from their contributions.
[ Clark ]
Seniors have a lot to contribute to America. I would support doubling
Senior Corps. In fact, I have already proposed expanding Senior Corps
as part of my proposal for a national Civilian Reserve.
[ Dean ]
Refer to above response
[ Edwards ]
Seniors give the benefit of their experience and wisdom back to their
communities by volunteering. More than 40 percent of seniors volunteer
and they have a tremendous impact on the neighborhoods in which they
live. I support the goal of doubling the National Senior Service Corps'
senior volunteers over five years. Seniors are one of our great resources
and we should give them the tools they need to give back to our country.
[ Gephardt ]
Seniors are one of our nation's most important, and too often untapped,
resources. When seniors give their lives to public service, both seniors
and their communities benefit. I would support a goal of doubling the
number of senior volunteers sponsored through the National Senior Service
Corps over the next five years. I would also continue to give my full
support to programs within the Older Americans Act, especially those
that encourage and enable seniors to make a difference in the lives
of those around them.
[ Kerry ]
As President, I will defend and strengthen vital programs such as Medicare
and Social Security, but I also believe in calling on America's seniors
to give their time, experience, and expertise to an America that needs
their help. I have a plan to engage 100,000 seniors a year in service
in the next decade.
Luckily, today's Americans are living longer and staying healthy into
their retirement. I will call on these seniors to use their experiences
and energies for the good of the nation by expanding and strengthening
current senior service programs and with a new Retired Not Tired program.
In exchange for 10 hours of service a week, members will earn up to
$2,000 a year tax free that they can apply to an education grant for
a grandchild or other family member, a child in their neighborhood,
or one of the young people they mentor. Alternatively, Seniors will
be able to use these funds to defray their own health care costs.
Seniors can serve as role models for our children, signposts of stability
in our schools, and as the world's most patient tutors. When seniors
are part of schools, students behave better. When seniors spend time
tutoring they provide needed respite for over-strained teachers who
must be freed up to teach, and children get help learning what they
need to know.
Seniors can also help each other. Seniors have the credibility and
compassion to help fellow seniors who are infirm in a way no one else
can. Participants in my senior service program will be able to offer
seniors support to live independently.
[ Kucinich ]
Refer to the above Community Service response
[ Lieberman ]
I believe we should do all we can to keep seniors involved and engaged
in our communities. Seniors are a valued resource and the programs of
the National Senior Service Corps are a wonderful way to bring the talents
of senior volunteers where they are needed most. I have been a consistent
supporter of the Corporation for National and Community Service in the
Senate, and as President I will continue to be supportive of its programs.
[ Sharpton ]
Response Pending
Housing
How important will it be to your administration to maintain and increase
the supply of low-income senior housing we have in this country and
what would you do to make sure health and housing services fit together
for these people?
[ Bush ]
Response Pending
[ Braun ]
The need for affordable housing for seniors and low-income Americans
is dire. As housing costs in cities and suburbs increase exponentially,
individuals on fixed incomes face housing insecurity. As President,
I will work proactively to replenish the diminishing stock of truly
affordable housing and to ensure that lower-cost housing for seniors
provides basic services, in order to facilitate community integration
efforts.
[ Clark ]
Ensuring access to quality, low-cost housing for all low-income Americans
- especially low-income seniors - will be a high priority for my administration.
We should fully support and expand programs like HUD's Supportive Housing
for the Elderly Program. We should also support efforts at the state
level by State Housing Authorities to encourage construction of low-cost
senior housing through methods like tax-free bond issues. Finally, we
should support and expand the section 8 voucher program, which provies
low-income housing to thousands of low-income Americans.
[ Dean ]
Just as it is for most Americans, housing for seniors is the largest
cost in their own personal budgets. Too many seniors who live on fixed
incomes are unable to find adequate housing or are squeezed by ever
rising rents. We must continue to develop policies that provide for
adequate housing and affordable rents. The supply of adequate low-income
housing must be increased in the years ahead. I also agree that greater
coordination needs to occur between housing and service providers to
ensure we meet the challenges of living independently and with dignity
for all of America’s seniors.
[ Edwards ]
Almost 1.5 million seniors live in deficient housing conditions and
30 percent of seniors pay more for housing than they can afford. Yet
President Bush has slashed the number of Section 8 housing vouchers,
which many low-income seniors rely on for affordable housing. I strongly
support Section 8 vouchers and the Section 202 elderly housing program
and believe we need to ensure they can continue to meet their missions.
Additionally, as seniors age they need increased services, and accommodations
for disabilities. The federal government has to do more to ensure that
housing receiving federal funding is accessible. We need to increase
the supply of subsidized housing units for seniors that have supportive
services. And we should increase coordination between the federal agencies
that handle housing and health care for seniors to ensure senior housing
fully meets the needs of the elderly.
[ Gephardt ]
Maintaining low-income housing is important not only for seniors, but
for all low-income Americans. That's why I support the National Affordable
Housing Trust Fund Act. We can use profits from the Federal Housing
Administration to establish a constant, dedicated stream of funding
for the creation, rehabilitation, and preservation of low-income housing.
This dedicated funding would also provide rental subsidies to low-income
individuals. To make sure health and housing services fit together for
seniors, I will provide coordination between HUD low-income housing
programs, HHS Administration on Aging programs, and Medicaid. Increasing
coordination among existing federal programs will ensure low-income
seniors have all the tools they need to stay healthy.
[ Kerry ]
Our nation is facing an affordable housing crisis. Today, many elderly
people in this country increasingly find themselves unable to afford
housing. That is why I have introduced the National Affordable Housing
Trust Fund to begin a rental housing production program that will ensure
1.5 million new rental units are built over the next 10 years.
Less than three decades from now, the elderly population in the United
States is expected to double. Our seniors should have the right to age
as they choose in either a private home or a supportive community environment.
Too many seniors are forced to move from their private homes due to
a lack of supportive services in their community. And there are too
few options available like assisted living. I strongly support expanding
home-based health assistance programs which help seniors maintain their
independence and dignity. These programs actually reduce the cost to
the taxpayer by lowering the number of seniors moving into a supportive
community environment that is paid for by Medicaid. As President, I
will work with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the
Department of Health and Human Services and state authorities to coordinate
the housing, health care and other supportive services they provide.
These changes will help our seniors can make their own housing choices
and will help them maintain both their independence and their dignity.
[ Kucinich ]
Decent housing, free of discrimination and available to all, regardless
of age, race, gender, or religion, is a fundamental human right and
a basic right of citizenship. In recent years, the cost of housing has
risen while the economy has stagnated. The result has been a crisis
in affordable housing that must be addressed by federal, state, and
local governments. Seniors on fixed incomes often have financial problems
meeting rising property taxes and maintenance costs and must have supportive
community service and funding policies to help them live in dignity.
Congressman Kucinich supports programs such as one in Cleveland, in
his congressional district, which offers a Senior Homeowner Assistance
Program. This program provides grants to low-income seniors who reside
in homes needing critical health, safety, and maintenance repairs. Chore
volunteers help seniors with home maintenance tasks such as lawn mowing,
simple repairs, and installation of smoke detectors. Transportation
to medical appointments and grocery shopping is also available. As President,
Dennis Kucinich would work to establish these kinds of effective programs
in every city and county in the country, and would support family caregivers
who provide long-term care to elders or those with disabilities.
The first step towards housing security is passage of the National
Housing Trust Fund Act, which Congressman Dennis Kucinich has cosponsored.
The goal of this plan is the creation of 1.5 million new housing units
over the next decade, especially for low-income renters and owners,
using the profits generated by the Federal Housing Administration and
other federal housing agencies. These funds would be used for the production
of new housing, preservation of existing federally assisted housing,
and rehabilitation of existing private-market affordable housing. New
housing units would be primarily rental units, and the focus would be
on low-income households in mixed-income neighborhoods. The success
of state and local housing trust funds shows this to be a proven method
of addressing the affordable housing crisis while stimulating the economy.
[ Lieberman ]
As our population ages, providing coordinated services for seniors will
become more and more important. My administration will take seriously
the need to find the best ways to keep seniors in their communities
and out of institutions. As President, I will keep Hope VI alive and
maintain Section 8 funding formulas. Currently only 16% of housing vouchers
go to the elderly. We need to expand low income housing choices for
the elderly. I will create more subsidized housing that includes on-site
services for seniors.
[ Sharpton ]
Response Pending
Transportation
Please describe your plans to promote senior transportation as a priority
within your Administration, and specifically do you support substantial
increases in funding for the Federal Transit Administration's Section
5310 Program, the major transportation program for the elderly, which
is currently funded at $90 million?
[ Bush ]
Response Pending
[ Braun ]
Response not yet received
[ Clark ]
I support efforts to expand the role of the federal government in promoting
senior transportation initiatives.
[ Dean ]
We need to ensure that our transportation policies are designed to assist
seniors in leading independent lives, even when driving is no longer
an option, through safe, accessible and reliable local transportation
systems. Input by seniors should be a must for all transportation initiatives,
including reauthorization of SAFETEA Act, which is currently up for
reauthorization for the six year period 2004-2009. In addition, we need
to increase funding for transportation programs that serve seniors in
this country, including the Section 5310 program. Federal funding should
also be made available for operating funds as part of the reauthorization
of our nation’s transportation program.
[ Edwards ]
Seniors require adequate transportation to ensure they can continue
to live independently. For the majority of seniors, cars continue to
be the primary mode of transportation. I support initiatives that consider
the special needs of senior drivers such as increasing awareness among
health professions of the interaction between health and driving functions
so they can education their senior patients.
As Americans age, they increasingly depend on alternatives to driving
such as mass transit. I am a strong supporter of mass transit initiatives
and believe that we must increase mass transit options. We must also
do more to ensure mass transit is accessible to seniors and meets their
needs, such as "kneeling" buses that make it easier for seniors
to board. I support increasing funding for the FTA's Section 5310 Program.
And I strongly opposed President Bush's efforts to change the cost sharing
structure on transit projects. This would have decreased the Federal
government's share of the cost, forcing local governments to pay more
and jeopardizing many mass transit programs.
[ Gephardt ]
One of the most significant quality-of-life issues facing seniors today
is access to transportation -- for medical appointments, job opportunities,
or visiting family and friends. It is essential to allow seniors to
maintain their independence. For over thirty years, the Elderly and
Disabled Program has provided funding for the purchase of vehicles and
related equipment to meet the transportation needs of our country's
seniors.
President Bush has submitted to Congress a transportation budget proposal,
which fails to make the necessary investments in our nation's infrastructure
and public transportation systems. This is a short-sighted decision
that will have lasting effects on the ability of seniors and the disabled
to live meaningful lives. As president, I'll enhance funding for programs
such as the Federal Transit Administration's Section 5310 program
[ Kerry ]
In the Senate, I have strongly supported federal initiatives to improve
senior transportation options. I support several steps to improve the
quality of public transportation for seniors. I support a tripling of
funding for the Federal Transit Administration's Elderly and Persons
with Disabilities Program and modifying it to help services pay for
operating expenses. I will also ensure that state and local planning
boards adequately consider the needs of seniors and the disabled before
federal dollars can be used on a transportation project. Further, with
the projected growth in elderly population, I will make the needs of
seniors a top priority in my administration's transportation policies
[ Kucinich ]
Refer to the above Housing response
[ Lieberman ]
Transportation can be a lifeline for isolated seniors, especially in
rural areas. When I'm president, I will focus attention on the ways
in which we can keep seniors engaged and living active lives in their
communities through expanding transportation services. I believe the
Section 5310 Program should have additional funding to not only replace
aging vehicles, but to expand capacity in the program by purchasing
new vehicles. This will help us reach our goal of expanding transportation
to more seniors.
[ Sharpton ]
Response Pending
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