Kohl Honored by National Council on Aging

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, was presented with the  National Council on Aging's (NCOA) "Ollie Randall Award" by the President and Executive Director of the Coalitions of Wisconsin Aging Groups, Nino Amato, in recognition of his work and advocacy on issues affecting older Americans.

"We continue to make progress on policy that will help make the lives of all Americans better as they grow older. There's still a lot of work ahead to improve our nation's nursing homes, protect seniors from abuse, lower the cost of health care and increase retirement security for all," Kohl said. "It is an honor to receive this award and I will continue my efforts to further the ideals it represents."

In presenting the award, NCOA cited Kohl's efforts to lower drug costs for seniors, expand employment opportunities for older workers, protect seniors from physical and financial abuse and for his advocacy on a number of other issues affecting older Americans.

Presented annually since 1967, the award is presented in recognition of Ollie A. Randall, an NCOA founder who had a distinguished career in the field of aging. Recipients are honored for "singular and outstanding contributions toward advancing the cause of aging." Past recipients of the Ollie Randall Award have included President Lyndon B. Johnson; Maggie Kuhn, founder of Gray Panthers; U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy; and U.S. Rep. Claude D. Pepper.