Manitowish Waters, WI -- U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today highlighted his original cosponsorship of legislation to reauthorize the Older Americans Act, giving the critically important seniors' programs the Act authorizes Congress's commitment of support for the long-term.

"The Older Americans Act provides our senior citizens with support networks that enhance their lives and with nutrition programs that improve their health," Feingold said. "Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act will help ensure that senior centers, and the creative programs they offer, get the support they need."

Feingold pointed out that the Older Americans Act helps seniors maintain their independence and well-being in a variety of ways. The Act funds vital nutrition programs that provide meals at senior centers and delivers them to individual homes, helping millions of seniors live healthier lives. The Act also addresses seniors' nutritional health, which has remained a concern since it was first recognized to be inadequate through studies done in the late 1960s, which found that hundreds of thousands of older Americans existed on diets that lacked proper nutrition. By providing meals at senior centers and delivering them to seniors' homes, the Act's nutrition program helps millions of seniors live healthier lives.

In addition to the nutrition program, the Older Americans Act funds the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which investigates complaints made by, or on behalf of, seniors living in long-term care facilities like nursing homes. By funding home care and elder abuse prevention services, the Act also works to protect the well being of seniors at risk for suffering abuse.

"Along with Social Security and Medicare, the Older Americans Act plays a central part in enabling seniors to live with dignity," Feingold said. "Congress needs to give it's full support to the Older Americans Act, and I'll do everything I can to see that it does."

Feingold's 56th Listening Session of 1999, and the 488th since he was first elected in 1992, was held at 2:30 p.m. at the North Lakeland Discovery Center. Feingold's 57th session of 1999, and 489th since he was first elected, was held at the Hurley Senior Center beginning at 4:45 p.m. Feingold renewed his pledge to hold sessions in all of the state's 72 counties every year after keeping his promise to do so during his last term.