Former President Donald Trump will once again take the Oval Office, after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in yesterday's presidential election. Argentum is analyzing the results and will be presenting a special post-election briefing next Wednesday, November 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET to discuss how this election will impact the senior living industry.

We look forward to working with the next Trump Administration on addressing the needs of senior living communities and advancing our policy solutions on workforce and affordability of senior living. Argentum maintained strong working relationships with the prior Trump administration on several issues, including workforce programs like the Healthcare Apprenticeship Expansion Program (HAEP), awarded in 2020 during the Trump Administration, and we also worked closely with the administration during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, raising awareness on the needs of communities and securing federal financial relief, testing kits for communities, and priority vaccine administration.

We anticipate that among the incoming administration’s priorities will include addressing immigration and border security issues, a major tax-package, housing policy, and increased promotion of home-care in long-term care, where we will be advocating that senior living communities are broadly considered home by our residents.

As we hinted before the election, a major focus will be the expiration of significant portions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA, or “Trump Tax Cuts”). Last month, Trump said he would "support a tax credit for family caregivers who take care of a parent or a loved one." Argentum will be working closely with the administration and Congress on opportunities to advance such a proposal as part of the TCJA reauthorization or another vehicle and to ensure it is broadly applicable to help support seniors and their families in choosing senior living for their care needs. Argentum will also look to advance other affordability, housing, and workforce measures as part of the tax package.

Republicans flipped control of the Senate in their favor and may maintain control of the House (numerous elections remain uncalled and control of the chamber may not be settled for several days or weeks). If Republicans are able to keep the House, they may seek to undo several Biden Administration regulatory actions by using the Congressional Review Act, a measure that allows Congress to overturn final rules issued by federal agencies by passing a joint resolution disapproving of the rule and prohibiting it from going into effect. A simple majority in both chambers is needed to send the measure to the president’s desk. Several CRAs were passed in this Congress, but were vetoed by President Biden and did not have the necessary two-thirds votes in both chambers to override the veto.

The change in administration will also bring with it a change in agency heads and administrative policy agendas. This may be particularly pronounced at the Department of Labor, with a potential shift on workforce priorities. At the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Democratically-appointed members currently hold a 3 to 1 majority, which will remain until August 2026; two nominations are currently pending in the Senate, a Republican and a Democrat. Additionally, with the change in party leadership in the Senate, the prospects have greatly diminished for passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a longstanding wish-list of pro-labor policies, including provisions that would effectively repeal right-to-work provisions in place in more than half of the states; Argentum opposes the PRO Act with our partners in the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace.

In addition to joining next Wednesday's webinar, Argentum urges all senior living stakeholders to join us in Washington, D.C. next March 12-13 for our annual Public Policy Institute. With the change in administration and changes in Congress, this will be one of the most significant opportunities to advance our policy priorities. Registration information will be available soon.

Congressional Election Synopsis:

Voters are headed to the polls today in what is expected to be one of the highest-turnout elections in recent memory. While it may take time to determine the winners, what we do already know is that the elections will bring a new administration with a new agenda, new agency heads, and new Committee chairs in Congress.

To help make sense of it all and the impact on senior living policy, Argentum will be hosting a special post-election briefing next Wednesday, November 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET to review the results and look ahead to opportunities to advance our public policy priorities.

The biggest legislative opportunity in 2025 will be the expiration of significant portions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA, or “Trump Tax Cuts”), including opportunities to advance Argentum-led proposals on workforce programs and policies to increase affordability of long-term care. Argentum's annual Public Policy Institute, in Washington, D.C. next March 12-13, will be a critical event to promote senior living solutions for consideration in next year's legislative packages, regardless of who wins the presidency or control of Congress.

Potential expectations for various scenarios and Argentum’s opportunities:

Congress returns to Washington, D.C. today from its annual August recess, and lawmakers will have a three-week legislative sprint before heading back to the campaign trail ahead of the November elections, now just eight weeks away.

In what has been one of the “strangest” political years ever, it is not out of the question that the White House, House, and Senate could each flip control, with a half dozen states and their electoral college votes rated as toss-ups in the presidential race, and dozens of seats in contention in an already narrowly-divided Congress.

What does this all mean for senior living? To help make sense of the state of the elections and the significant impacts they could have on public policy issues, including Argentum's priorities of increasing access and affordability and addressing our workforce needs, Argentum recently hosted a webinar with special guest Christian Morgan, managing principal of Husch Blackwell Strategies.