Incapacity advocates push for residence and community-based care in Democrats’ infrastructure reconciliation plan

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Proponents of Home and Community-based Services (HCBS) are pushing to ensure they are included in the Senate’s proposed $ 3.5 trillion reconciliation infrastructure package.

Senate Democrats announced a $ 3.5 trillion framework for their reconciliation bill that would allow them to bypass a filibuster. The proposal would include expanding the expanded child tax break, universal pre-kindergarten, two-year community college, and expanding Medicare to include dental and visual aids.

This would coincide with a proposed bipartisan infrastructure bill negotiated with Senate Democrats and Republicans that would focus on traditional infrastructure.

Disability rights advocates, however, are determined to put the proposed $ 400 billion into home and community services that enable disabled and elderly people to be cared for at home rather than in facilities, as President Joe Biden made in his first infrastructure proposal earlier this one Year touted.

Little lobbyists advocating for children with complex medical needs said they are meeting with House and Senate leadership as well as other stakeholders to raise support.

“We also know that the pandemic has dramatically exacerbated the existing care crisis while exposing the real dangers of the institutions and care facilities we try so hard to keep our children out of,” Little Lobbyists’ Elena Hung and Laura Hatcher said in an E. -Mail . “We need our legislators who are fighting with us to keep the FULL HCBS funding in the Infrastructure Act.”

HuffPost reported Monday that spending would be reduced to $ 200 billion.

But Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, said the legislation is still in the early stages of negotiation.

“All we have now is a total for legislation, about $ 3.5 trillion, so it will be a while before we get anything,” he said. Mr Casey said he has a keen sense of what the disabled and the elderly need and is paying caregivers $ 12 an hour.

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“Sure we need funds for long-term care,” said Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado during an interview in the hallway. “At the moment we are negotiating and I’m trying my best not to negotiate in the hallways.”

However, when asked if the chairman of the Budgets Committee, Sen Bernie Sanders, would support full funding, he simply replied, “You know that”.

Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said he needed to investigate the details but said he supported the concept. Similarly, Sen Angus King, a Maine independent working with the Democrats, said he spoke with Mr. Casey and Susan Rice, the Biden administration’s director of domestic affairs, on the matter.

“I am in favor of that determination in general,” said Mr. King. “I haven’t looked at the details yet, but I think it’s very important, especially as our society is aging.”

Sen Tammy Duckworth of Illinois said Democrats are currently in talks about funding for home and community-based care.

“I urged the leadership that we have to fund it in full,” said Ms. Duckworth, who is disabled after losing her legs while serving in the military.

Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said he supported the full funding of the deployment but was not clear about what would happen to ensure it did.

“Well, we’ll see,” said Mr. Kaine.

Sen Elizabeth Warren, who proposed making HCBS compulsory as part of her Medicare for All plan during her presidential campaign, said she also supports full funding, along with full childcare funding, child tax credit, and paid family vacation.

“These are all investments in our families and we need to build strong programs that help all families build resilient futures,” said Ms. Warren.

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