New Legislation Provides Improved Services for Holocaust Survivors

WASHINGTON — Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) introduced a bill last night that would bolster agencies that work to provide support services to Holocaust survivors in the U.S., from improved home care services to transportation options.  

The bipartisan bill introduced by Wasserman Schultz along with original co-sponsor Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) would add Holocaust survivors to a priority list for social services that are provided as part of the Older Americans Act, including nutrition services, mental health counseling, and home modifications.

The bill would also designate someone within the Administration on Aging to oversee the implementation of all the services to survivors to ensure the full intent of the bill is carried out. Because transportation is one of the greatest needs of these seniors, another integral part of the bill is a grant program that would improve transportation services.

With an estimated 127,000 Holocaust survivors living in the United States today, three-quarters are over the age of 75 and more than 86,000 live alone. Many rely on local agencies to help them afford basic necessities such as food and health care.

“As a nation that upholds the values of freedom, liberty, and justice, we have a moral obligation to acknowledge the plight and uphold the dignity of Holocaust survivors to ensure their well-being,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “Our children’s generation will be the last to know Holocaust survivors and hear their stories first hand. We must do all we can to honor their struggles and their lives by improving their access to transportation to get them where they need to go, and improve their home-care options so that they can have peace of mind. This bill does just that, and it’s time to make it happen.”

Last December, Wasserman Schultz introduced a resolution that passed in the House that recognizes the needs of aging Holocaust survivors and the work of the agencies that help support them. This bill takes that idea and turns it into a reality by making it possible for these agencies to provide the support that is so vital to these Holocaust survivors.