[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 15, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E648-E649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF THE CARE ECONOMY AND IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING HOME 
                      AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 15, 2021

  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance 
of the care economy and the need for significant investment in home and 
community-based services to meet the needs of seniors, people with 
disabilities, and caregivers who serve them.
  The vast majority of America's seniors and people with disabilities 
prefer to receive long-term services and supports in the home or in the 
community. However, there are currently significant roadblocks to 
quality, accessible home and community-based services. Many HCBS are 
provided through Medicaid, which has restrictive eligibility criteria 
and often has long waitlists for these services. Additionally, the 
direct care workforce that provides HCBS face low pay and few if any 
benefits, resulting in high turnover that impacts the services they

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provide. As a result, far too many Americans are unable to access to 
quality, affordable home and community-based services. While the 
American Rescue Plan provided important resources for Medicaid HCBS to 
meet the immediate needs of the pandemic, more comprehensive reforms 
are needed to ensure that all Americans can live with dignity in the 
setting of their choosing.
  The Biden American Jobs Plan will help meet this need by providing 
$400 billion for quality home and community-based services for seniors 
and people with disabilities. This investment will transform the care 
economy by investing in the HCBS workforce, allowing them to receive 
pay and benefits commensurate with the work they provide. It will allow 
seniors and people with disabilities to receive the high-quality care 
they need in the setting of their choosing. More importantly, it will 
provide dignity for all who participate in the care economy.
  I urge my colleagues to support the American Jobs Plan and this 
historic investment in the care economy.