[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 11 (Thursday, February 2, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S513-S514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 2244. A bill to provide funding and incentives for caregiver 
support and long-term care assistance; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce The Caregiver 
Assistance and Relief Effort, CARE, Act and the College Access and 
Affordability Act because far too many families today are squeezed by 
the demands of caring for aging loved ones while working to give their 
children what all parents want for their kids--the opportunity to go to 
college and be successful. As a son helping to care for a mother with 
Alzheimer's disease and the proud parent of two college-age kids, I 
know personally the intergenerational demands families are facing and 
the sacrifices they are making to care for their loved ones. That's 
exactly why my first legislative initiatives in the United States 
Senate are to make higher education and long-term care more affordable 
and more accessible for New Jersey families and families across the 
country.

[[Page S514]]

  The CARE Act would provide tax credits to those caring for ailing 
family members and loved ones, and encourage individuals to plan and 
invest in their own long-term care by offering a tax deduction for 
long-term care insurance. In addition, it would double the funding for 
the existing National Family Caregiver Support Program, which supports 
a wide range of important services for older persons.
  There are an estimated 44.4 million caregivers in the U.S., which is 
21 percent of the adult population. My home State of New Jersey has 
over 830,000 caregivers, ranking it 9th in the country.
  Caregiving families face unique strains. They are challenged with 
additional costs, and often caregivers must sacrifice their job or cut 
back on their hours at work. Almost 6 in 10 caregivers either work or 
have worked while providing care, and 62 percent of caregivers report 
having had to make work-related adjustments ranging from going in late 
and leaving early to having to give up work entirely. Caregivers are 
also a valuable asset to keeping health care costs down. They are 
providing $257 billion in care annually, more than double the annual 
spending on home care and nursing home care combined. Their compassion, 
dedication, and selflessness come at a price to their families and are 
a benefit to the greater good of our State and Nation. This legislation 
is aimed at addressing their hard work, sacrifice, and contributions to 
society.
  The other bill I'm introducing today, the College Access and 
Affordability Act, will help open the doors to higher education for 
more young people by making financial assistance more flexible for 
students and by expanding and enhancing existing financial aid options.
  I know the difference a college education can have on a young 
person's life. As the first in my family to go to college, and later 
law school, I had opportunities that would not have been available to 
me had I not been able to go to college. But financing a higher 
education was not an easy thing for my family. Federal financial aid 
helped ensure that I could go to college and that I could pursue my 
dreams. I know first-hand the important benefits of receiving Federal 
aid--not only did it help me finance my dreams of college, but it also 
gave me the extra confidence that I needed to succeed.
  So, I am committed to ensuring that other promising young people get 
the same chance that I did and that we, as a Nation, will be there to 
help everyone in this country achieve their dreams of college, 
regardless of background, race, language, or income level. One of the 
great foundations of this country is that the doors of opportunity are 
open to anyone who works hard. We must follow through on that promise 
by providing a path for young people to have access to and attend 
college. If we do not lead the way to ensure that our colleges are full 
of the brightest minds and fullest potential, we are failing to prepare 
our future generations and we are jeopardizing the future of our 
Nation.
  The College Access and Affordability Act will make financial aid more 
flexible and accessible to more students, such as extending Pell Grant 
eligibility to students who attend school year-round. It will also make 
substantial changes to the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit, a useful tool 
in helping cover the costs of a higher education. Since the Credit was 
enacted in 1997, the maximum credit has not increased to reflect the 
rising cost of tuition. This bill would raise the award by $1,000 and 
allow the credit to be claimed for all 4 years of college, instead of 
the current 2 years. It will also make more families eligible for the 
credit by expanding the eligibility limits.
  Finally, in recognizing that many of our communities are in need of 
qualified individuals to serve in essential public service positions, 
this bill would help attract dedicated college graduates who serve low-
income communities in positions such as science, math, bilingual, or 
special education teachers; nurses; first responders; and child welfare 
workers.
  Too many students do not pursue a college education because they 
think it is out of their reach. We must commit to providing sensible 
tools and adequate resources so that financing a college education is 
not more of a burden on families, and achieving the dreams of a higher 
education is not beyond the reach of our Nation's young people.
  On any given day, families across New Jersey, and indeed, across this 
country, face the daunting challenges of making ends meet--putting food 
on the table, clothing their children, and putting a roof over their 
head. If that weren't enough, add the challenge of trying to pay for 
college or care for an aging parent, or in many cases, both, and you 
have what many times is an insurmountable challenge. But that's exactly 
what's happening to more and more people everyday. And the 
intergenerational demands will only increase as the baby boom 
generation grows older and our life expectancy increases. We need to 
work now to address the challenges on both fronts--from providing 
affordable long-term care and encouraging future retirees to plan for 
their own long-term care, to ensuring that anyone who is willing to 
work hard has the opportunity to go to college and succeed. That's what 
this country is all about, and that's why I've made these initiatives 
my first priorities in the U.S. Senate. I'm hopeful that we will be 
able to work in a bipartisan fashion to address these important 
challenges facing American families.

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