BURLINGTON, Vt., March 26 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday will hold a discussion with older Vermonters to hear about their experiences with the many programs funded through the Older Americans Act (OAA). The discussion will take place at 11:30 a.m. at the Waterbury Area Senior Center.

Earlier this month, as Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Sanders held a hearing on the Older Americans Act. First signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the OAA has provided vital nutrition, social, economic, and health services to millions of vulnerable seniors for nearly six decades. These highly effective services have not only saved lives, they have saved taxpayers money.

With a rapidly aging population, a strong and well-funded OAA is critical to addressing and combatting the many crises faced by seniors in Vermont and across the country. From 2010 to 2020, the share of residents 65 or older in the U.S. grew by more than a third – the fastest rate of any decade in 130 years. By 2035, the number of Americans aged 60 and over is expected to rise to nearly 95 million.

In April 2023, forty-two senators, including Sanders and Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), sent a letter to Senate appropriators requesting a doubling in funding for OAA programs.

The OAA was last reauthorized in 2020 and will expire on September 30, 2024.

Details:
What: Older Americans Act Discussion with Sen. Bernie Sanders
When: Thursday, March 28, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Waterbury Area Senior Center, 14 Stowe Street, Waterbury, VT
Press RSVP: Media members interested in attending must RSVP by contacting press@sanders.senate.gov. Please be in place 15 minutes prior to the event start time.
Note: All attendees are expected to follow Vermont Department of Health guidance, monitor symptoms, and are encouraged to take a rapid COVID-19 test prior to the event.