Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans

No one should have to choose between filling a prescription or paying other bills. But that’s what’s happening for too many older Americans. They simply aren’t taking the medicines their doctor prescribes because they can’t afford to. That is unacceptable. Send a letter to your member of Con...

CLICK THE LINK TO TAKE ACTION NOW: https://tinyurl.com/hcbsaction

Investing in care and communities is what the economy and our families need at this moment. A $400B investment in care means the creation of millions of jobs and meeting the needs of people with disabilities and our growing aging population.

These are the last weeks we have to make our case that we need $400 billion for HCBS services. We need all hands on deck to encourage our champions to hold the line in the $400 billion. Can we count on you?
CLICK THE LINK TO TAKE ACTION NOW: https://tinyurl.com/hcbsaction

We are in the last stretch to win a $400 billion investment in America’s care system to ensure that older adults and people with disabilities, as well as the families and the professional caregivers that assist them, have access to the home and community based resources they need.

Congress approved a budget resolution that makes good on President Biden’s commitment to invest in Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) as part of the Build Back Better Plan. This is huge!

Now, congressional committees will have to make difficult decisions on the size and length of programs to fit within their reconciliation instructions. While the budget resolution generally reflects the Build Back Better agenda’s scope, it reduces its size due to funding.

The House has returned for session to “mark up the bill”, and the two committees that are key to decisions over HCBS are the “Energy and Commerce Committee” in the House and “Health, Education, Labor and Pensions” in the Senate. With so many important provisions of Build Back Better pulling at the dollar amount that Congress is willing to spend, we need to lift our voices to encourage our representatives on key committees to push for the $400 billion investment America’s care system needs now.

Our key Illinois Representatives on Energy and Commerce are: Congressmembers Jan Schakowsky, Bobby Rush and Robin Kelly.
Use the information below to call, tweet, message, and email them today!

Tell them:
“Hello, my name is ______, and I live in Illinois [if you live in their district, tell them you are their constituent]. Homecare work is essential, it is the work that makes other work possible because it provides care and stability for our loved ones. Older adults need care to be able to age at home with dignity. Folks with disabilities need care to live full independent lives. That’s why I’m calling to urge you to pass President Biden’s care plan with the full $400 billion investment in home care in the reconciliation package.”

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky – District 9
Chicago Office (773) 506-7100
D.C Office (202) 225-2111
Twitter: @janschakowsky
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janschakowsky

Congresswoman Robin Kelly – District 2
Chicago Office (773) 321-2001
D.C Office (202) 225-0773
Twitter: @RepRobinKelly
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobinLynneKelly

Congressman Bobby Rush – District 1
Chicago Office (773) 779-2400
D.C Office (202) 225-4372
Twitter: @RepBobbyRush
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/congressmanbobbyrush
Additional Talking Points for Email and Social Media Outreach

- We must have an investment as close to $400 billion to both expand services to people who need it and ensure the jobs needed to care for our nation’s seniors and people with disabilities are good union jobs.

- The investment must be sufficient to avoid forcing states to choose between raising wages and expanding services—pitting family caregivers, people with disabilities, seniors, and home care workers against each other.

- We know that now, and in the coming decades, there must be a stable, reliable, and well-supported workforce to care for our aging relatives, friends, and neighbors.

- It’s never been more urgent to meet our communities’ skyrocketing needs for care. By 2028, we’ll need to fill 4.7 million new care jobs. But it’s hard to attract the workers we need if the jobs pay poverty wages, come with inadequate benefits and without the choice to join a union.

- This is our chance to actually invest in workforces that are overwhelmingly women, specifically women of color. The funding needs to be sufficient to actually improve people's lives.

- When it comes to our nation’s recovery, we cannot stick to the status quo. We need a bold investment to build a brighter future out of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic crises. Investing as close to $400 billion in home care workers and our whole home and community care system is a huge part of that.

"...when the pandemic struck, instead of looking for ways to protect and support our community’s safety-net long-term care facility, some elected officials who have long pushed for privatization saw an opportunity." - Louis Goseland, Executive Director of Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans