H.R. 9092: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Reuss. H.R. 9168: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Ashley. H.R. 11577: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Magnuson. H.R. 11638: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Rhodes of Pennsylvania. H.R. 11794: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Thompson of New Jersey. No printed hearings. Bills introduced in the Senate: S. 658: To establish a Commission on Programs for the Aging. S. 693: For the establishment of the U.S. Commission on the Aging No printed hearings. 85TH CONGRESS Bills introduced in the House of Representatives: H.R. 373: For the establishment of a Commission on the Aging. Mr. Ostertag. H.R. 383: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; to authorize Federal grants to assist in the development and operation of studies and projects to help older persons. Mr. Rhodes of Pennsylvania. H.R. 495: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; to authorize Federal grants to assist in the development and operation of studies and projects to help older persons. Mr. Yates. H.R. 562: To establish in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare an Office for Senior Citizens. Mr. Bennett of Florida. H.R. 649: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mrs. Green of Oregon. H.R. 3120: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Wier. H.R. 3408: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Reuss. H.R. 3415: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Thompson of New Jersey. H.R. 4398: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. King. H.R. 4486: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Addonizio. H.R. 5249: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Teller. H.R. 5654: For the establishment of the U.S. Commission on the Aging and Aged. Mr. Corbett. H.R. 5932: For the establishment of the U.S. Commission on the Aging and Aged. Mr. Fulton. H.R. 6976: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Senior Citizens within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; to provide for an Assistant Secretary to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to direct said bureau; to authorize Federal funds to conduct and encourage research and studies in the fields of gerentology, geriatrics, and allied problems of senior citizens. Mr. Cramer. H.R. 11057: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Zablocki. H.R. 11271: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Ullman. H.R. 11659: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Dellay. H.R. 12051: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Libonati. Hearings: House Committee on Education and Labor. Bureau of Older Persons (Aging and Aged). Hearings, 85th Congress, 2d session, on various bills to provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, March 18, 19, 20; April 22, 23, 24, and 30, 1958. Bills introduced in the Senate: S. 258: For the establishment of the U.S. Commission on the Aging and Aged. Mr. Potter. S. 1117: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Magnuson. S. 3700: For the establishment of the U.S. Commission on the Aging and Aged. Mr. Langer. No printed hearings. 86TH CONGRESS, 1959-60 Bills introduced in the House of Representatives: H.R. 314: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Addonizio. H.R. 490: To provide for the establishment of a Bureau of Senior Citizens within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Cramer. H.R. 719: To establish in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare an Office for Senior Citizens. Mr. Bennett of Florida. H.R. 983: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Yates. H.R. 994: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Zablocki. H.R. 1195: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Wier. H.R. 2888: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Libonati. H.R. 3080: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Teller. H.R. 13147: To establish the U.S. Office of Aging in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; to authorize Federal grants, establish an advisory committee on the aged and aging; to create an interdepartmental committee on aging; a "Declaration of Objectives for Senior Americans" appears as title I of the bill. No printed hearings. Bills introduced in the Senate: S. 256: To provide for the establishment of the Bureau of Older Persons within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mr. Magnuson. S. 399: For the establishment of the U.S. Commission on the Aging and Aged. Mr. Langer. S. 3807: To establish the U.S. Office of Aging in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; to authorize Federal grants; establish an advisory committee on the aged and aging; to create an interdepartmental committee on aging; a "Declaration of Objectives for Senior Americans" appears as title I of the bill. Mr. McNamara. Prepared by Legislative Reference Service, Library of Congress, June 8, 1960. MINORITY VIEWS OF SENATOR DIRKSEN I am opposed to the recommendations contained in the majority report proposing the establishment of a National Institute of Gerontology and Federal grants to the States for the construction of multipurpose senior citizen centers. The stated purpose of the proposed National Institute of Gerontology would be to encourage and promote the development of a soundly based research in the field of aging. Although the majority's recommendation does not so state, it is apparently their intention to establish this proposed Institute within the existing National Institutes of Health. The National Institutes of Health is composed of institutes engaged in research in the following fields; arthritis and metabolic diseases, cancer, dental, heart, mental health, allergy and infectious diseases, and neurological diseases and blindness. Many of the research programs now being conducted by these Institutes are directed specifically to those aspects of diseases commonly associated with old age. The establishment of a statutory Institute, as proposed by the majority, to conduct research in gerontology would not be devoted solely to research in the medical sciences but would also authorize the employment of scientists from the physical and social sciences to conduct research programs in these fields as well. Because of the broad scope of authority which would be granted to the proposed Institute, serious problems would arise in attempting to avoid duplication of research and other activities now being carried on by the existing Institutes. It is difficult indeed to envision a harmonious relationship developing between the existing Institutes, which are based upon specialized fields of medicine and one which is concerned with, inter alia, the physical and social scientific study of the phenomena of old age. In view of the fact that age-related research programs are presently being conducted by the several Institutes of the National Institutes of Health, there appears to be no clear and manifest need for an Institute of Gerontology as proposed by the majority report. The majority also recommends that the Federal Government join with the States, localities, and nonprofit organizations to stimulate and finance senior citizen centers with qualified staffs and with programs of education, recruiting, and training for community service, counseling and other activities in keeping with the needs of older citizens. In support of this recommendation, the majority report asserts that opportunities for our older citizens to make better use of their retirement time are now lacking and that the construction of senior citizen centers would enable retired persons to more fully participate in voluntary activities in their home communities. In my opinion, there is no justification for the majority's recommendation. Ample opportunities are available today for retired persons to utilize their leisure time through voluntary services to their 128 churches and synagogues, the Red Cross, Community Chest, and the many other social, welfare, and charitable organizations which exist in every community in America. It is through such groups and organizations that our older citizens can make and are now making the most productive use of their retirement time and also make important contributions to their communities and their fellow men. They will not be able to do this in a regimented and unhealthy atmosphere where they are segregated from the other age groups in our society. Furthermore, even if there were a demonstrated need for such a program, the majority report is silent with respect to the cost of such a program and the manner in which it would be financed. Presumably the Federal Government would bear the greatest burden of the cost, as it does in most of the Federal grants-in-aid programs, that can only be met by increased taxation or deficit spending which necessarily leads to further inflation and its detrimental effects on the savings, insurance, and pension fund of our people, especially our older retired citizens. Unless the grants are of sufficient size to accomplish really worthwhile results in each of the 50 States, this program would be meaningless. If the grants are of this magnitude, the program would then become a tremendous additional burden to the Federal Government. |