WASHINGTON, DC – The nation’s pre-eminent coalition representing older Americans applauds President Biden’s American Jobs Plan as a bold step in the right direction for all of us as we age. The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) urges Congress to enact the President’s plan, so that older Americans will feel the benefits across many areas of their lives — from housing to health to caregiving. Most significantly, the plan will provide home and community-based services (HCBS) for older people who otherwise would have to wait as many as five years to get the services they need.
“The American Jobs Plan is not just about aging infrastructure, but the ‘infrastructure of aging.’ Our nation’s capacity to take care of one of our most under-resourced populations has not kept pace with the growing number of older Americans. The President’s plan is a welcome recognition that any re-imagining of the economy must include a serious commitment to older adults’ needs, which have been laid bare by the COVID pandemic.” – Max Richtman, LCAO Chair and President & CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
LCAO has identified key portions of the American Jobs Plan that would directly benefit older people:
- $400 billion (or 20% of the funding in this plan) to improve HCBS for older adults and people with disabilities, including expanding access to Medicaid HCBS, extending the Medicaid HCBS “Money Follows the Person” program, and providing direct care workers with higher wages and the ability to bargain collectively.
- Improving housing security. LCAO will urge President Biden and the Congress to ensure that housing for older adults, including the section 202 program, are part of this effort.
- Support for the improvement of high-speed broadband infrastructure. LCAO wants to ensure that this proposal addresses improving telehealth capacity and economic opportunity.
- Support efforts to improve America’s transportation infrastructure. LCAO will call for improvements in public transportation for older adults, including the enhancement of such services under the Older Americans Act.
As the President’s plan is taken up by Congress, LCAO will continue to urge lawmakers to ensure that the American Jobs Act addresses the transportation, housing, broadband access, and caregiving needs of older people. Just as the President’s American Jobs Plan will rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, it must build a better foundation for society as a whole by fortifying services for all of us as we age.
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The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations has been the country’s pre-eminent coalition representing older Americans since 1980. Composed of 69 national nonprofit organization members, LCAO focuses on the well-being of America’s older population and is committed to representing their interests in the policy-making arena.
Media Inquiries to:
Pamela Causey 202-216-8378
Walter Gottlieb 202-276-9089
