Senators Preserve Vital Workforce Funding

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee voted 26-2 on Thursday to approve its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Importantly, the Senate version of the appropriations bill does not include the drastic cuts that were advanced earlier this month by the House Appropriations Committee.

Argentum spearheaded a grassroots campaign urging both House and Senate lawmakers not to move forward with the cuts to workforce development programs, which includes eliminating Job Corps funding and otherwise cutting nearly 30% of funding for critical workforce programs. We sincerely appreciate everyone who took part in our grassroots campaign!

Additionally, the Senate bill's report language includes:

• The Committee encourages the Department [of Labor], in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to study the effects of worker shortages in the direct care sector and the impact that worker shortages will have on long-term care affordability and accessibility, and long-term care programs and submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations not later than 270 days after enactment.
• The Committee provides $48,245,000 for the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program. This program supports training to integrate geriatrics into primary care delivery and develops academic primary care community based partnerships to address gaps in healthcare for older adults.
• The Committee expects CMS to strengthen and expand access to HCBS, facilitate State planning, encourage innovative models that benefit the workforce and care recipients, and support quality and accountability.
• The Committee directs ACL [Administration for Community Living], in coordination with DOL and CMS, to examine data on the potential impacts of worker shortages on long-term care affordability and accessibility.

While we are encouraged by the Senate’s actions to preserve workforce funding, the process is far from over. Lawmakers are preparing to leave for their annual August recess, and will return following the Labor Day holiday to resume negotiations on appropriations. Current FY spending is due to expire on September 30, at which point Congress must either pass their appropriations bills or a continuing resolution to fund the government until a broader spending agreement can be reached.

Argentum will continue its outreach to lawmakers who sit on the Congressional appropriations committees to protect against any cuts and to urge inclusion of our priorities. These include: funding through the Employment and Training Administration for grants to support the expansion of the direct care workforce; Job Corps direct care workforce apprenticeship programs; and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) workforce development grants.

We are committed to meeting the workforce challenges in senior living, as identified in our recently released report (Workforce Projections for Senior Care), showing a current shortage of more than 400,000 workers, which is projected to grow to more than 20 million workers by 2040. Argentum is working to fill this gap through a federally funded workforce initiative that is on target to recruit thousands of new CNAs, LPNs, RNs, rehab technicians, nursing directors, and executive directors through the DOL’s Healthcare Apprenticeship Expansion Program.
 
TAKE ACTION: As Congress embarks on its August recess, we encourage all Argentum Advocates to meet with federal lawmakers and ask for their support of our federal priorities, particularly as they relate to workforce provisions in the appropriations bills. Argentum member companies are also encouraged to host lawmakers for visits at senior living communities to provide a first-hand perspective of the challenges facing residents and staff (see our toolkit for how to get started).

Pre-written letters are available at the above link. All you need to do is enter your contact information to be matched with the appropriate lawmaker. Please share this link with your colleagues!