On Thursday, the White House initiated a full court press for its $3.5 trillion budget blueprint that would provide billions of dollars for home- and community-based services, higher caregiver wages and Medicare expansion.
Vice President Kamala Harris met with a half-dozen corporate executives, including Microsoft President Brad Smith and Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulkaya, to talk about how policies in the administration’s Build Back Better initiative would benefit businesses and the overall economy. Approximately 300 diverse companies, including Care.com, Patagonia and Spotify, also released a joint letter Thursday calling on Congress to back elements of the bill, including paid family medical leave.
At a virtual roundtable with direct care providers from Staten Island, New York, Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su touted the initiative as a way to modernize the care economy by providing caregivers a living wage, access to health insurance and the right to organize.
“This will reduce turnover which will ultimately ensure that we can meet the demands for new valuable services for a well-trained workforce,” Su said. “The time has come. There is momentum. Let’s seize the moment.”
During the roundtable, direct care workers told Su about the challenges of supporting their families on minimum wage jobs. Michael Iteme said he works two full-time jobs that often include several hours of overtime.
“I work 80 hours a week and sometimes with overtime I work 96 hours just to take care of my family. I hope this act will stop that,” Iteme said.
On Wednesday, the Senate passed the $3.5 trillion budget blueprint along party lines, one day after also passing a $1 trillion infrastructure package. The House will begin debating the budget plan at the end of the month when it returns from a summer recess. The plan is likely to face challenges in the House due to its hefty price tag.
The plan has garnered widespread support from the home care industry and senior service organizations. Vicki Hoak, Executive Director of the Home Care Association of American (HCAOA), told McKnight’s Home Care Daily on Wednesday her organization would aggressively lobby lawmakers on the bill’s passage.
“Our members look forward to meeting with members of Congress in the coming months to discuss all the issues that will ultimately improve access to home-based care including support for family caregivers who provide about $470 billion annually in unpaid care,” Hoak said.
