[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 17 (Thursday, February 2, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND RETIREMENT SECURITY ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. DONALD M. PAYNE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2012

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1173) to 
     repeal the CLASS program:

  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1173. 
While my Republican colleagues see H.R. 1173 as a solution to the 
Department of Health and Human Services' letter to Congress about the 
CLASS Act, I strongly contend that repeal is not the answer. According 
to the Department's announcement, there is no viable way forward to 
implement the CLASS Act at this time but families impacted by accidents 
and illnesses are also without a viable way forward to meet long-term 
care needs. The cost of long-term care can be extremely taxing. In 
2010, the private-pay rate for a semiprivate room in a nursing home 
averaged $205 per day, or about $75,000 per year. In comparison, the 
median total household income for elderly Social Security beneficiaries 
in 2008 was $20,000 per year. The CLASS Act was established as part of 
the Affordable Care Act in response to the growing number of citizens 
with long-term health care needs and the repeal of this act would only 
impose enormous financial, emotional and physical burdens on these 
citizens. This is an issue that affects every American family. No one 
regardless of class, race or creed is exempt from a potential accident 
or illness requiring long-term care. It is estimated that 15 million 
Americans will need some kind of long-term care by 2020, but fewer than 
three percent have a long-term care policy. We should not abandon this 
effort, rather Congress should come together to find a sustainable 
solution to address this challenge.

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