[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 93 (Friday, June 27, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S6741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER:
  S. 979. A bill to provide a tax credit to families with elderly 
family members living in the family home; to the Committee on Finance.


                         tax credit legislation

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to introduce 
legislation that would provide a $2,500 tax credit for individuals or 
families with elderly family members living in the family home. As we 
all know, our Nation's population is living longer. With advances in 
medical treatment, improvements in the Nation's nutrition, and the 
development of drugs to combat infectious diseases, our Nation's 
elderly population is expected to more than double by the year 2050. 
This demographic change presents a unique challenge to America, and it 
is our duty to work together to ensure that our Nation's elderly and 
every generation of American families maintain a high quality of life.
  Since the Great Depression, our Government has instituted several 
extremely successful social insurance programs to protect the elderly. 
The Social Security Program has provided an income security net, and 
the Medicare Program has insured that senior citizens are afforded 
access to medical care. Many families, however, are faced with 
difficult decisions when elderly family members are no longer able to 
live alone. Many of these seniors are brought into the family home. 
Others are placed in institutional nursing facilities.
  While multigenerational families are not a new phenomenon in America, 
a new survey released by the National Alliance for Caregiving 
illustrates how contemporary multigenerational families are faced with 
extraordinary pressures. Nearly two of three individuals who 
provide care to elderly family members are employed full or part time, 
and about half have reported that their caretaking duties have made 
them late for work, forced them to come home early or to take time off. 
These caregivers spend an average of 18 hours a week taking care of 
loved ones, grocery shopping, managing their medications, and helping 
with transportation and personal care. Many people needing care are 
chronically ill. More than one in five caregivers, or about 5 million 
households nationwide, take care of someone with Alzheimer's disease, 
confusion, dementia or forgetfulness.

  Today, millions of American families face a no-win situation when an 
elderly family member is no longer able to live independently. Taking a 
loved one into the family home may be much desired instead of having to 
see a person impoverished by the Medicaid eligibility rules and left a 
ward of the State, living in a nursing home. Obviously, on the other 
hand, very few families can afford to pay for private nursing home care 
themselves. But, bringing an elderly relative into the family home is 
costly. Our public policy should recognize this dilemma and support 
those loving families seeking to care for the elderly with their own 
resources in their own homes.
  Currently, there are more than 33.5 million Americans who are 65 
years of age and older. In my own State of Pennsylvania, there are 2 
million individuals 65 years of age and older. Many of these seniors 
live independent lives. However, nationwide approximately 3.9 million 
of our elderly citizens live with relatives other than their spouse and 
an additional 1.7 million seniors live in nursing homes. My amendment 
would provide a $2,500 tax credit to individuals or families who care 
for an elderly family member in the family home. In order to qualify 
for this tax credit, the elderly family member would have to be at 
least 65 years old, would have to reside with their family at least 
half of the taxable year, and must have been eligible under current law 
to be claimed as a dependent on the family's tax return.
  With this amendment, families will be given the vital assistance 
necessary to provide care to seniors in their homes. It will also 
provide flexibility to families who would like to provide care to 
family members in their home rather than place these seniors in 
institutionalized care facilities, but are otherwise unable to afford 
this financial commitment. In Congress, we have made many speeches 
about strengthening the American family and about providing support for 
our Nations senior citizens. This bill would accomplish both of these 
important goals. I urge my colleagues to join with me in support of 
this bill to find real solutions to the real problems faced by the 
growing numbers of caregivers and senior citizens in America.
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