Statement by AARP CEO Bill Novelli on the Mark-Up of the Senior Independence Act, HR 5293
Source: AARP Press Center | May 18, 2006
In response to yesterday’s mark up of the Senior Independence Act, HR 5293, AARP CEO Bill Novelli said:
"The members of the House Education and Workforce Committee deserve to be commended for working hard on a bipartisan basis to find compromises on many difficult issues. AARP supports the speedy reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. Unfortunately, however, some of the changes in the Act that the Committee approved yesterday will adversely impact vulnerable, older Americans still seeking work to generate essential income.
We are very concerned that the participant tenure limits in this bill for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) will disproportionately impact those oldest and hardest to serve. These vulnerable, low-income older workers, representing some 30 percent to 50 percent of the program’s current participants (18,000 to 25,000 individuals) will be the first affected by these tenure limits. Because of the significant employment barriers they face, they have been in this program, on average, longer than other participants—and now stand to lose this opportunity to better their lives.
We are also concerned that the Committee included changes to the Act that would require even high-performing organizations to frequently compete for grants. AARP believes that requiring frequent competition by organizations with proven records of success is counterproductive. It disrupts the lives of participants and the services they provide to local communities, while undermining successful program performance. We are pleased that Chairman McKeon agreed to further discussion of concerns regarding this provision, with the possibility of modification, prior to floor action on HR 5293, and hope that the Senate will also consider a less disruptive approach to SCSEP administration."
