Earlier today, the Biden Administration released its budget request to Congress, seeking $6 trillion in spending to include both the $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan and the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan. The Jobs plan and Families plan form the core of the administration’s Build Back Better agenda and include an investment of $400 billion to expand access to long-term services and supports for older Americans and strengthen the care workforce. More information on the president’s budget is included in the Appendix document, including specifics on program funding proposals.
Argentum is pleased to see the continued inclusion of the Administration’s senior caregiving priorities, both in the budget request and in other negotiations. Last Friday, in response to Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and the Republicans counter-proposal to infrastructure negotiations, the White House specifically sought critical investments in care infrastructure, noting that, “investing in our nation’s care infrastructure is essential to support our seniors and help our parents, particularly women, get back to work.”
Senate Republicans released an updated counter-proposal yesterday that includes $928 billion, but not the care infrastructure provisions sought by the White House. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent a Dear Colleague letter today advising that they will continue to work on advancing the Build Back Better agenda “with or without the support of Republican Senators.”
Argentum is continuing advocacy efforts to promote investment in the nation's long-term care needs by leading the Safeguarding Elderly Needs for Infrastructure and Occupational Resources (SENIOR) Act. Our message is simple: to adequately prepare for these growing needs, providers not only need access to financial resources to adequately prepare for these increasing needs, but also immediate financial relief to address the unprecedented expenses and losses associated with caring for this most vulnerable population during COVID-19. Read more about our infrastructure priorities as part of the SENIOR Act here.
The White House's push for its Build Back Better agenda, including the care infrastructure priorities, is ultimately a request for Congress to consider. While Democrats narrowly control the House and Senate, most legislation would require at least 10 Republican votes in the Senate. There may be some efforts to advance these priorities through a budget reconciliation process that requires only a simple majority, as was the case with the American Rescue Plan Act in March; however, these can generally only be used once per fiscal year and it is unclear the extent to which these agenda items would be included in a broader reconciliation bill.
