In a Jan. 7 letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), ABA Governmental Affairs Director Thomas M. Susman urged that the House Permanent Select Committee on Aging be reestablished as “an important step” to ensure that Congress effectively addresses issues of importance to older adults.” Originally established in 1974, the committee ceased operation in 1992. While the Senate still has a panel addressing elder issues − the Senate Special Aging Committee − there is no comparable committee in the House. “During its existence...the Select Committee on Aging held over 1,000 hearings and issued reports that led to advances on issues of vital importance to older persons,” Susman explained, citing work the committee did on guardianship, Medicare, elder abuse, Social Security, and more. He emphasized the importance of having a committee dedicated solely to issues of concern to seniors and noted that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 20 percent of Americans will be over the age of 65 by the year 2050.