You do not have to wait for an invitation from Congress to influence public policy. You have a standing invitation.
Policy and law impact our lives in large and small ways every day. While our representative government is structured to allow for public input, quite often policies are enacted with little pro-active input from the general public. Visions of influencing Congress started early for me. The Schoolhouse Rock episode, “I’m just a bill, a bill on Capitol Hill,” struck a cord.
Just three minutes in length, the animated feature depicted the process of how a local idea, conveyed to a member of Congress, gets drafted into a bill, is introduced then referred to committee and after an arduous process, is eventually sent to the president’s office for signature if passed by both chambers of Congress. I can still hear the catchy “I’m just a bill” tune.
The portion of the process that fascinated me most was the committee discussion process. In the Schoolhouse Rock episode, the hopeful bill sat outside the congressional committee hearing room while members of Congress hotly debated the merits of the proposed legislation.
A few weeks ago, I was invited to be a part of the congressional committee discussion process by testifying before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging at their hearing titled “Beyond the 9 to 5: Dismantling Barriers and Building Economic Resilience for Older Workers.”
The hearing was not on a particular bill but instead focused on understanding the unique barriers to employment experienced by older workers, identifying existing best practices and informing potential new policy solutions.
Senate Special Committee on Aging Chair Sen. Robert Patrick Casey Jr., D-Pennsylvania, and Ranking Member Sen. Michael Kent Braun, R-Indiana, asked me to bring a perspective from the field that includes the barriers we see and hear from older workers as well as the unique approaches launched in Southwest Michigan to overcome those barriers. The Campus for Creative Aging technology classes, our Senior Community Service Employment program and caregiver support programs being chief among the solutions the committee was interested to learn more about.
It is unusual for senators to reach outside of their own state to solicit committee hearing testimony. It is a testament to the collective work of local businesses, community-based organizations, volunteers and aging service professionals that our region caught national attention for our work on these issues.
While there was no “hopeful bill” waiting outside the committee hearing room during my testimony, and there was no “hot debate” about the policy direction during discussion, there was deep engagement on the part of the senators in learning about the challenges older Americans face as they seek to enter or re-enter the workforce. Members expressed a particular interest in the needs of working caregivers. Recognizing caregiving duties often result in lost workplace productivity and, at times, the need to exit the workforce.
Some actions discussed that Congress could take to mitigate these challenges were:
- Increased funding for the Senior Community Service Employment Program so that more low-income older workers and potential workers can get the training and support they need to strengthen their own financial security through work
- Pairing broadband expansion and access efforts with technology training for older adults
- Scaling up the National Family Caregiver Support Program so more family caregivers can remain in the workforce and avoid long-term economic harm to themselves as they age
The results of this Senate committee hearing are ongoing. Discussions continue with the members of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, its staff, and a broader congressional audience. Funding decisions, program reauthorization efforts and family caregiver strategies continue to evolve. As for me, I will continue to ensure they evolve with my perspective being heard.
You, too, can have impact on this or other policy priorities important to you. And you do not have to wait for an invitation from Congress to do so.
Your representative government can best make decisions when informed by the general public. Your voice matters. A legislative staffer once told me that if they get three phone calls on an issue, it’s one that they take notice of. If they get 10, it’s one that gets brought swiftly to the attention of the elected official. Add your voice to that number for whatever the issues you are enthusiastic about.
Not sure how to contact your elected officials? You can find their contact information on the Area Agency on Aging website at areaagencyonaging.org/ advocacy. Want to stay up to date on aging policy issues or add your voice to advocacy efforts on aging issues? Send an email to advocacy@areaagencyon aging.org to join that advocacy distribution list.
Christine Vanlandingham is CEO of Region IV Area Agency on Aging in Southwest Michigan. Questions on age or independence services? Call the Info-Line for Aging & Disability at 800-654-2810 or visit areaagencyonaging.org. The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.