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John,

Senators and representatives return to Washington, D.C. on Sept. 9 for a frenzy of activity. Once they leave—and that could be as soon as two weeks after they begin—they won't be back until November.

The time crunch means Congress can't act on everything.

We're happy to report that the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) has a chance at being moved through Congress this month. Despite being scaled back from its original version, over 73% of advocates and older adults who responded to our recent survey said the bill is worth supporting.

There's an old saying on Capitol Hill: It might be tough to get things done, but it's even harder to get something un-done. That's how we're approaching TROA. If Congress passes the current version of the bill, it will make obesity treatments available to more people through Medicare, and it will create a stepping stone for future improvements.

Help push obesity care across the finish line!
Use our form to send a message to your members of Congress. Encourage them to act on the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act before they go on recess again.

September is a busy month for aging issues! It features Healthy Aging Month and National Senior Center Month, Falls Prevention Awareness Week, Malnutrition Awareness Week, and Employ Older Workers Week. That's a lot of attention on aging issues! It's also a reminder that the Older Americans Act (OAA) is critical to addressing each of them.

For 59 years, the OAA has provided older adults with home-delivered and congregate meals, caregiver support, healthy aging programs, employment opportunities, falls prevention resources, and more.

The OAA needs to be reauthorized and funded. Since the need for its services is greater than ever before, we're hoping Congress will fund OAA programs at twice the current amount. Unfortunately, we don't think Congress will act until after the election. Given what's at stake, though, we're preparing a big push for December. Stay tuned for more on this.

There are two important things to keep in mind. First, there is strong bipartisan public support for strengthening aging programs. (Our What Women Say survey offers a glimpse into those numbers.) Second, members of Congress still value input from their constituents. When the time is right, you can play a role in bringing aging services funding up to where it should be.

Act today to get TROA passed before the election. Then, stay energized! There's more to do after you vote in November. We'll be counting on you to make the final sessions of 2024 as productive as possible.

Cheers,

The NCOA Public Policy & Advocacy Team

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