WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 874 – a bill introduced by Third District Representative Walter B. Jones (R-NC) and Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX) that honors our nation’s seniors for their part in helping make America great. Through the resolution, the U.S. House of Representatives recognizes the importance of older Americans, encourages young people to spend time with seniors so they may learn of their accomplishments, and urges all Americans to honor and respect older Americans and offer appreciation to them for their contributions to the United States.

Prompted by a desire that our seniors be treated with the dignity and respect due the ‘Greatest Generation,’ Representatives Jones and Gonzalez worked together to draft the resolution so that Congress will keep seniors in mind when considering legislation that will profoundly affect them in years to come.

“It is so important that policymakers in Congress recognize the contributions of our nation’s seniors by keeping their needs in mind as we develop legislation,” said Congressman Jones. “We must take this responsibility seriously as we consider issues such as Medicare, Social Security, veterans’ benefits, housing and health care.”

“We must always work to ensure that the needs of our seniors, who are often the most vulnerable members of society, do not get overlooked,” Jones said.

“This year, the first children of the ‘baby boom’ generation turn age 60, adding to the 49 million Americans who are age 60 or older,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “It is imperative that policymakers recognize the needs of senior citizens, as they are becoming a larger portion of our population.”

“As the largest nonpartisan seniors group in the nation, we are thrilled to see the sacrifices made by our 1.2 million members, as well as all seniors, honored,” said Ralph McCutchen, Chairman of the TREA Senior Citizens League. “Whether we seniors were defending our nation in wartime, rationing food to make sure others could eat, or raising a family, it’s humbling to see our efforts recognized by the United States Congress. We commend Congressmen Gonzalez and Jones for introducing this resolution.”

For additional information or to schedule an interview with Congressman Walter B. Jones please contact Kathleen Joyce at (202) 225-3415.