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Candidates Speak Out On Senior Issues
Dick Gephardt was born in the same South St. Louis neighborhood he represents in Congress today. He attributes his rock solid sense of family, community and service to the principles he learned while growing up in a community of hardworking families. The son of a milk truck driver and a legal secretary, his parents shaped his views of the value of hard work and the struggles of working families. Throughout his career, Gephardt has successfully fought for America's families, winning battles and overcoming Republican opposition on issues of critical importance:
Gephardt graduated from Northwestern University and the University of Michigan Law School. He began his career in public service as a precinct captain in St. Louis' 14th Ward. From there he was twice elected Alderman, and became known as the leader of a group of aggressive young reformers known as the "Young Turks" who implemented bold new policies to revive the city. Passionately committed to raising the level of debate in American politics, Gephardt has forcefully spoken of the need to put aside the "politics of personal destruction" and instead to focus on the issues central to America's future. He authored "An Even Better Place: America in the 21st Century," examining the most pressing concerns affecting America. First elected to represent Missouri's Third Congressional District in 1976, Gephardt quickly became a national leader on health care, trade, and tax fairness. In 1984, he was elected Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, the fourth-ranking leadership post in the House. In 1987, he became the first Democratic candidate to enter the 1988 presidential race, helping to frame the economic issues that dominated that election. Because of his outspoken stand on behalf of American families, he was elected House Majority Leader in 1989. Gephardt was elected by his colleagues in 1994 to serve as Democratic
Leader, the top Democratic leadership post in the Gephardt has successfully blocked Republicans from slashing funds for education, the environment and Medicare. Today, America faces serious challenges at home and abroad. Gephardt believes that by staying true to Democratic principles and by building a platform of new ideas based upon our common ideals, we can give new life to the Democratic Party and to the United States of America. A fiercely loyal Cardinals fan, Gephardt also is credited with the effort that brought the Rams to St. Louis. He is married to Jane Byrnes Gephardt. They have three children: Matt, Chrissy, and Katie.
Gephardt Responses to Survey HEALTH / Medicaid What do you think should be done to ensure the sustainability of the Medicaid program and to improve it? Prior to full meaningful reform, would you support the continuation of a temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP)? Medicaid has been a lifeline for low-income Americans and should be preserved as one of our most important entitlements. I absolutely oppose any attempts to turn Medicaid into a block grant program and turn all control over the states. Federal participation and accountability is vital to the continued success and sustained quality of this program. My plan for universal health care will get everyone covered with quality health care. Since four out of five uninsured Americans work, or have a parent or spouse that works, my plan covers these people through their employer. This is the best way to strengthen the system and get everyone covered – without burdening the Medicaid system further. We can improve Medicaid instead of asking the program to do more, with less funds, as we have for so long. In addition, under my health care plan, we will reimburse state and local governments for 60% of the cost of health care for their employees. This will provide new aid - more than $53 billion in state and local aid in my first year as president, and a total of $172 billion provided over three years. State and local governments can use the additional dollars to fund priorities like Medicaid. In the meantime, I do support the temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for the Medicaid program while states remain in a fiscal crisis. HEALTH / Medicare Prescription Drugs Do you support a prescription drug benefit, and if so, will you commit financial resources in your fiscal year 2006 budget submission to address the serious deficiencies in the reported conference agreement and work to fix serious structural deficiencies? Will you commit resources to eliminate each of those problems? I strongly opposed the bill recently passed by Congress and signed by the President. This bill undermines the Medicare system by steering it toward privatization, does nothing to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, and fails to provide seniors with a real prescription drug benefit. As president, I would commit resources to providing seniors with a guaranteed, affordable, and defined benefit under traditional Medicare that doesn’t depend on private plans or contain gaps in coverage. In addition, I would take steps to ensure that retirees don’t lose the drug coverage they already have. What are your positions on these five issues? (pertaining to the prescription drug legislation)
I oppose artificial budget caps, the lack of a dependable fallback delivery system, means testing of the Medicare benefit, the failure to bring down the costs of drugs, and unfair competition between traditional Medicare and private plans. The inclusion of these provisions in the bill is why I voted against it on the House floor. HEALTH / Medicare What are your specific plans to help ensure the financial future of the Medicare program? First, through my plan to cover the uninsured, I would bring down the cost of health care. Uncompensated care, which results from uninsured patients, is a major reason why health care costs are rising. By bringing down the number of the uninsured and reducing the amount of uncompensated care, my plan will reduce the cost of health care. Lower health care costs mean that Medicare dollars will go further and the longevity of the program will be extended. I will also help ensure the financial future of Medicare by making sure that cuts in the Medicare program are never used to balance the budget. As House Minority Leader, I fought back attempts by the Republican leadership to cut Medicare by $270 billion. I also fought against attempts to privatize Medicare and turn it into a voucher program. You cannot save Medicare by cutting it, reducing benefits or raising costs to those who depend on it, or threatening the livelihood of the providers who serve it. These “reforms” do nothing but weaken the program undermine the basic principles of the Medicare system. Instead, the best thing we can do for Medicare is what we did in the 1990’s: grow the economy, increase revenues – and as a result, extend the life of the Medicare trust fund. INCOME SECURITY / Social Security We would appreciate your views on Social Security’s future. Do you favor or oppose the following changes to Social Security?
Since the creation of Social Security more than 65 years ago, no program has done more improve the lives senior citizens, no matter what their income or background. Social Security is based on an intergenerational contract, and a commitment that today’s generations have a duty to honor and uphold. We also have a responsibility to make sensible decisions that invest in Social Security and make it stronger in the decades ahead. We have a responsibility to ensure our children and grandchildren will reap its rewards. Quite simply, our values call for building Social Security up, not tearing it down in the name of privatization. As Democratic Leader, I was proud to lead the opposition to Republican plans to privatize Social Security. Republicans used every tactic in the book to make the case for individual, private accounts: During good economic times, they argued that private accounts would offer a “better return” than Social Security. During bad economic times, they argued the program is doomed and has to be dismantled. The truth is, despite the ups and downs of the stock market, Social Security has never missed a paycheck, and is a resounding success story. I will always fight to protect this program and fight privatization schemes. Likewise, I will continue to oppose any changes to Social Security that would weaken the program and jeopardize its ability to provide a safety net for this and future generations. These changes include diverting payroll tax dollars into individual accounts, raising the retirement age, means-testing benefits, or any other drastic changes that will radically restructure the Social Security system. INCOME SECURITY / Pensions Do you favor establishing a system of federally-sponsored universal retirement savings accounts in addition to Social Security, financed with new dollars, rather than with funds diverted from Social Security? My mother worked hard all her life, but when she retired after working at five different jobs, she was left with just one pension of $42 per month It wasn’t right, and after a lifetime of hard work, it sure wasn’t fair. As president, I will propose a universal pension system. This will allow workers to keep the pension credits they’ve earned, as they move from job to job. The accounts will eliminate the phenomenon of workers retiring with several different pension accounts from different jobs they have held throughout their careers. A lifetime of hard work should not go unrewarded. What are some of your recommendations for helping to protect workers currently covered by defined benefit pensions and workplace savings plans? During the 107th Congress, I introduced H.R. 5160, the Business Investors’ and Employees’ Bill of Rights Act. In addition to addressing corporate responsibility, this proposal also included strong pension reforms. It would provide real safeguards against employer mismanagement of pensions funds; ensure honest and independent investment advice; require worker representation on pension boards; and hold corporate executives accountable with criminal penalties. As president, I would seek to put these pension reforms in place so that employees can control and protect their pension funds. LONG-TERM CARE Do you agree that federal and state policies should allow people who need long-term care to receive the services and supports in the least restrictive setting possible, including the home and community? Yes. I believe we should increase our support for long-term care services that are provided in the home and community. With proper attendant services, many of those who require long-term care services can live fulfilling and productive lives in the community. How would your administration support and enhance current state efforts to move people from institutions to the community and to prevent premature or inappropriate nursing home placement? I believe efforts taking place at the state level with regard to long-term care are vital to ensuring accessible and affordable care for senior citizens. As president, I would direct my administration to help states with this effort, including the granting of waivers when safe, necessary, and appropriate. I would also seek to help states coordinate with one another so that the best practices regarding long-term care can be repeated throughout the country. What, if anything, will you do to streamline or eliminate the home and community-based waiver process for states under Medicaid? I support flexibility to allow seniors to be cared for in their homes, which is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 2032, the Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act (MiCASSA). This proposal would require state Medicaid plans to allow those are eligible for nursing home and other long-term care facilities to choose to receive community attendant services and supports in lieu of institutional care. It requires that services be provided in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of the individual. As president, I will continue to promote this policy. In addition, how would your administration support unpaid or family caregivers who provide the majority of long-term care to older people with disabilities? First, I would support and encourage current workplace initiatives, such as flex-time and job sharing, that give family caregivers flexibility at work so they can fulfill their obligations at home. Similarly, I also support strict enforcement of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), a law I helped pass as House Democratic Leader. Employees should not have to jeopardize their continued employment because they took time off to care for their family members’ health problems. I would also support the continuation of current programs, such as the National Family Caregiver Support Program, that help caregivers gain access to services, and provide them with information, training, support, and counseling. Would your administration support, enhance or replace the current federal/state/local infrastructure to provide home and community-based services for older people (i.e. Older Americans Act program and the aging network, SSBG, senior transportation programs, elderly housing programs, etc.) and how would your administration do this? My administration would support and enhance the current federal, state, and local infrastructure to provide home and community-based serves to older people. I would do this by making full funding of these programs a priority, increasing coordination among states to spread the use of best practices, and enacting legislation allowing seniors to choose to be cared for in their homes – ultimately placing seniors in the long-term care setting that’s right for them. The federal and state governments, together with individuals and families, all bear some financial responsibility for long-term care. How should these responsibilities ideally be distributed? Do you support the federal government bearing an increased burden? If so, how? The financial burden of providing long-term care is often more than individuals and families can bear. When the financial burden becomes too much, state and federal governments should provide assistance. I do support an increased role for the federal government in the provision of long-term care. The federal government should take a lead role in ensuring that long-term care is affordable and accessible for all Americans who need it. COMMUNITY SERVICES / Older Americans Act What initiatives would you advance to support and augment the Older Americans Act and the vital services it provides to millions of older adults? The Older Americans Act has had a positive impact on the lives of senior citizens across America. The programs it enables - such as community service programs, meal delivery programs, and family caregiver programs - give support and guidance to seniors and their families. As president, I would seek to support and bolster all programs within the Older Americans Act so that seniors may continue to live full and productive lives, and I would start by making sure these programs are fully funded. Our seniors should not be harmed by habitual underfunding of the Older Americans Act. Funding of these programs should be a priority. COMMUNITY SERVICES / Social Services Block Grants Would you support the restoration of the Social Services Block Grant authorization level to at least its pre-welfare reform level of $2.8 billion and restore the ability of states to transfer 10% of TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to SSBG? Yes. COMMUNITY SERVICES / Senior Employment Program Would you support a ten percent increase in SCSEP, which would provide over 6,000 additional jobs for low-income Americans age 55 and older? Yes. COMMUNITY SERVICES / Senior Volunteer Programs What plans do you have to support and, further, what other plans would you implement to make the best use of seniors as a resource in service to their communities and, specifically, would you support a goal of doubling the number of senior volunteers sponsored through the National Senior Service Corps over the next five years? Seniors are one of our nation’s most important, and too often untapped, resources. When seniors give their lives to public service, both seniors and their communities benefit. I would support a goal of doubling the number of senior volunteers sponsored through the National Senior Service Corps over the next five years. I would also continue to give my full support to programs within the Older Americans Act, especially those that encourage and enable seniors to make a difference in the lives of those around them. COMMUNITY SERVICES / Housing How important will it be to your administration to maintain and increase the supply of low-income senior housing we have in this country and what would you do to make sure health and housing services fit together for these people? Maintaining low-income housing is important not only for seniors, but for all low-income Americans. That’s why I support the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act. We can use profits from the Federal Housing Administration to establish a constant, dedicated stream of funding for the creation, rehabilitation, and preservation of low-income housing. This dedicated funding would also provide rental subsidies to low-income individuals. To make sure health and housing services fit together for seniors, I will provide coordination between HUD low-income housing programs, HHS Administration on Aging programs, and Medicaid. Increasing coordination among existing federal programs will ensure low-income seniors have all the tools they need to stay healthy. COMMUNITY SERVICES / Transportation Please describe your plan to promote senior transportation as a priority within your Administration, and specifically do you support substantial increases in funding for the Federal Transportation Administration’s Section 5310 Program, the major transportation program for the elderly which is currently funded at $90 million? One of the most significant quality-of-life issues facing seniors today is access to transportation -- for medical appointments, job opportunities, or visiting family and friends. It is essential to allow seniors to maintain their independence. For over thirty years, the Elderly and Disabled Program has provided funding for the purchase of vehicles and related equipment to meet the transportation needs of our country's seniors. President Bush has submitted to Congress a transportation budget proposal, which fails to make the necessary investments in our nation's infrastructure and public transportation systems. This is a short-sighted decision that will have lasting effects on the ability of seniors and the disabled to live meaningful lives. As president, I’ll enhance funding for programs such as the Federal Transit Administration's Section 5310 program FEDERAL RIGHTS What will your administration do to ensure full protection for the rights and welfare of our nation’s seniors? I am very disturbed with the erosion of the civil rights of seniors. The actions of the Bush Administration and the GOP-appointed members of our nation’s federal courts are failing this country. As president, I will make changes on both fronts. The federal government simply cannot make dramatic changes in legal and administrative precedents that retreat from the progress our country has made in improving the lives of seniors. First, we must put an end to the overly partisan judges that President Bush and the GOP Congress are placing onto the federal bench. As president, I will seek to nominate more balanced, experienced men and women to serve on our federal courts. I will also look for nominees that have a clear understanding of the need to protect civil rights for all Americans – including our nation’s seniors. Second, we need more action from our cabinet offices and administrative agencies to challenge lower court decisions that scale back programs. As president, I will ensure that my administration fully implements the sixty years of legislative advances on issues facing seniors. I will instruct our federal agencies to appeal any court decision that is adverse to these goals. What steps will your administration take to address staffing problems in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities? I would work to establish minimum staffing levels in nursing homes, while providing funding to help nursing homes meet those staffing requirements. I believe this is a sound approach to solving inadequate staffing levels and as president I would continue to support this policy and consider its implementation for all health care facilities. TAXES A series of tax cuts have been passed over the past three years, which have been criticized as contributing to these large deficit projections. Would you support modifications of any of these tax cuts, and if so, which ones in particular? I believe the Bush tax cuts were irresponsible and have resulted in a failed economic policy. As president, I will seek to repeal all the Bush tax cuts and use them to provide guaranteed health care for every American that can never be taken away. My plan will guarantee health care, stimulate the economy, and help state and local governments. My health care plan stands alone in this campaign as a plan that will truly increase and improve employer-based retiree coverage. My plan offers the very same 60% tax credits for retiree health care coverage and employer coverage – ensuring employers reverse the trend in retiree coverage. In addition, my plan allows those between the ages of 55 and 64 to “buy-in” to Medicare. My health care plan is also an economic stimulus plan. I’ll pump more than $280 billion into the economy over the first three years. Unlike the Bush tax cuts, which disproportionately benefited the wealthy few, the benefits of my plan will flow to middle-class Americans.
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Leadership Council of Aging Organizations. All Rights Reserved. |
