Issued September 23, 2021

Schumer on reconciliation: ‘As Majority Leader, I’m committed’ to passing bill that includes increased federal home care funding, expanded access, higher pay.'

Pelosi on home care: ‘This is not incidental to the legislation. This is very, very central.’

WASHINGTON, DC — Home care workers and consumers, advocates rallied Thursday on Capitol Hill with congressional champions of their cause including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries as the calls nationwide for a sweeping and once-in-a-generation Federal investment in care reach a fever-pitch.

Joined by Senator Bob Casey, Senator Maggie Hassan, Senator Ron Wyden, Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, care workers and consumers raised their voices to push for the passage of a budget that will create good union care jobs, expand access to home care, and deliver racial and gender justice through the Build Back Better agenda.

“Anyone of us could need this care at any moment. You are one second, one car accident, one wrong move from needing essential workers like us,” said home care worker Lynn Weidner, a leader with SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania. “When you need us, you want somebody there to take care of you that is also well taken care of… It’s time that we stand up for our home care workers and for our communities of consumers and the elderly.”

With the House and Senate back in session this week and urgently moving ahead on budget and infrastructure priorities, key lawmakers from Congressional leadership threw their weight behind the push to deliver jobs, care and justice for the 2.3 million home care workers in the U.S., and the millions more who depend on their work.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Every single day, elderly Americans, sick Americans, disabled Americans rely on home- and community-based workers to live their lives with dignity. [...] They're essential parts of our communities... They've been nothing short of a lifesaving force during COVID [...] For too long, they haven't been treated like heroes and it's creating a crisis in our country.”

“We want to expand the availability of HCBS services so we eliminate wait lists and ensure patients can get the help that they deserve. We want to improve the pay and labor standards to attract the high quality workforce that can meet our nation’s demands. And we want to increase federal funding for these services to a level that will encourage widespread if not universal uptake by the states. As Majority Leader, I’m committed to making sure our reconciliation bill delivers these goals,” Schumer added.

Ralliers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continued to elevate how a massive federal investment in care would not just create more than a million new care jobs, but would provide for workers to have a voice on the job and the ability to come together in a union — a critical measure to deliver justice for the care workforce lead by Black, white, Latina, Asian, indigenous and immigrant women.

“This is not incidental to the legislation. This is very very central. Because it goes to the heart of the matter, that we are about working families in our country and we want not only the people who are caregivers in their home to be able to go to work because they have good care at home, but we want the respect to be there for the workers in the home,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“When people talk about the infrastructure bill they say it’s a jobs bill. Well, this is a jobs bill too and it’s a jobs bill that goes to many more women and people of color,” Pelosi added. “It engages more people, adequately compensated, respected for their work, hopefully unionized so that we can do the best possible job for the people, for the children, for America’s working families.”

‘Time to Deliver’ Cry Advocates, Lawmakers
Thursday’s rally anchored a week of action with working people, advocates and supporters across racial, economic, gender and climate justice came together and descended upon Washington. Partners have united across fights for justice to demonstrate how critical care is to every family in every community and to all stages of life. Organizations joining in the coalition’s actions this week included Care Can’t Wait, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), American Society on Aging, Family Values @ Work, Little Lobbyists, National Council on Aging, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Women’s Law Center, Paid Leave 4 All, Service Employees International Union, and Zero to Three.

Senators and members of Congress responded to their demands Thursday, sharing personal anecdotes and committing to back a bold investment in home- and community-based services and the workers who provide care via reconciliation.

“If we’re paying people $12 an hour, that’s not right for those workers. That’s not right for the care that they're trying to provide everyday. There’s no reason why a worker should have to hold down two or three jobs to provide that heroic care they’re providing every day,” said Sen. Casey, chair of the Senate Committee on Aging and original sponsor of the Better Care, Better Jobs act. “If we’re going to call ourselves the greatest country in the world, we ought to have the best caregiving in the world. The best way to deliver the best care is to care for the worker, lift her up, give her a better wage, invest in her, and allow her to join a union.”

“Home care workers — through it all in the midst of this pandemic, essential workers in the midst of these conditions, none-the-less were there for some of the most vulnerable among us. We want to make sure that work is rewarded. That work receives better pay, better wages, and the better working conditions and we’re not going to rest until we achieve that reality in Washington, D.C.,” said Democratic Conference Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. “We’re going to get this done.”

“We’re playing offense,” said Sen. Ron Wyden. “We know people want care at home, number one! Number two, this is a chance to do it in a way that is less costly than institutional care. Number three, this is a way to bring workers and families together...I'm going to be with you every single step of the way until home- and community-based services is in legislation that heads to the president's desk for his signature.”

Care Advocates Converge All-Around the Capitol
Thursday’s rally anchored a week of action that saw working people and care consumers pull out all the stops to reach members of Congress during a pivotal time. They converged on the streets of Washington, DC, marching Tuesday for action on climate, immigration and care and lit up Capitol Hill saying “CARE CAN’T WAIT.”