Ray's Round Up: AARP PA Heads to DC with Message on Caregiving, Social Security

Earlier this year, AARP Pennsylvania was proud to announce the passage of the Caregivers, Advise, Record, and Enable Act which would help the 1.6 million family caregivers across the Commonwealth. Now caregivers are looking to the United States Congress to bring them more good news from the national perspective.

AARP has endorsed a pair of family caregiver bills that have been introduced in the US Congress. The first is the bipartisan Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act (H.R. 3099). The RAISE Family Caregivers Act would create a national strategy to recognize and support family caregivers.  A high profile advisory council would make recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on specific actions the federal government and others can take on behalf of family caregivers.

Passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate last year, the RAISE bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS), and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) last July.   Pennsylvania representatives who have co-sponsored this legislation to date are Representatives Brendan Boyle, Bob Brady, Patrick Meehan, Tim Murphy, and Glenn Thompson.

The second caregiving bill AARP supports is the Credit for Caring Act, HR 4708 in the House of Representatives and S 2759 in the Senate. The Credit for Caring Act would provide a new, non-refundable federal tax credit of up to $3,000 to family caregivers to help address the financial challenges of caregiving and help working family caregivers remain employed and not have to leave their job and risk their financial security.  The tax credit would phase out at higher income levels.  Representative Tim Murphy is the only member of the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation who has co-sponsored this legislation as of now.

In an effort to bring more attention to these family caregiver bills, AARP volunteers and staff from across the nation visited Capitol Hill on Tuesday, June 8. More than 300 Congressional offices were visited as these AARP representatives explained the critical role family caregivers play.  AARP PA State President Jim Palmquist led a contingent that visited the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course the conversations with these Members of Congress weren’t limited to family caregiver issues. The topic of Social Security was also a top concern.  AARP discussed our Take A Stand campaign with Members of Congress and their staffs, emphasizing our efforts to get each presidential candidate to unveil their plan to ensure Social Security will continue to provide benefits well into the future.  AARP discussed our six principles for addressing the fact that if no changes are made, Social Security will only be able to pay between 70% and 75% of promised benefits beginning around 2033.  Those principles are:

1. Achieve long-term solvency and adequacy
2. Reaffirm Social Security’s fundamental character
3. Ensure protections for those most in need
4. Recognize the value of Social Security’s core elements
5. Make improvements to reflect today’s workforce
6. Ensure fairness

AARP will also ask Members of Congress and candidates in the 2016 elections to state their commitment to addressing Social Security’s potential shortfall.

These two issues will remain critical concerns throughout the rest of 2016 and beyond and will impact every American. Everyone either has been, is, or is likely to be caregiver at some point in their lives. And hard-working individuals who pay into the Social Security system should be able to expect to collect their earned benefits when they become eligible.  As candidates for federal office discuss the issues in this election campaign, it is paramount that caregiving and Social Security are addressed.

“Ray’s Round Up” features updates on current state and federal issues by Ray Landis, AARP PA’s Advocacy Manager.