Letter to Barack Obama, President of the United States - Call for a 2015 Aging Conference

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, along with the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act, we write to encourage you to host a White House Conference on Aging next year.

As you know, the White House Conference on Aging has been held with some regularity for more than 50 years. The last conference, held in 2005, brought together approximately 1200 delegates from across the nation to make recommendations to the President and the Congress on aging policy for the next decade. Those discussions spurred dialogue on the issue of long-term care and preceded congressional action on the Older Americans Act in 2006 and the Elder Justice Act of 2010.

The conference is particularly important in light of the changing demographics of our population. By 2030, there will be more than 72 million older Americans, making up 19% of the total population. This growth will have profound impacts on our health care system, federal health and retirement programs, and our nation's debt and deficit. In a time of financial uncertainty, it is particularly important that we leverage all available resources to ensure that this growing segment of our population is well cared for.

The 2015 White House Conference on Aging would provide a forum to discuss these issues and develop the immediate and long-term solutions needed to address the challenges of an aging population. It would allow policymakers and advocates from across the country to come together to develop a comprehensive approach that puts the needs of older Americans and their families first.

We thank you for your attention to this request, and we look forward to working with you to continue dialogue on these important issues.

Sincerely,

Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01)
Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06)
Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30)
Matt Cartwright (PA-17)
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Yvette D. Clark (NY-09)
Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Tim Ryan (OH-13)
Sam Farr (CA-20)
Madeleine Bordallo (GU)
Dina Titus (NV-01)
Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Mark Pocan (WI-02)
Lois Frankel (FL-22)
Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Joyce Beatty (OH-03)
Danny K. Davis (IL-07)
Chris Van Hollen (MD-08)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Kathy Castor (FL-14)