Rep. Houlahan makes the case that support for the care economy must be included in Congressional infrastructure package.

WEST CHESTER – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) joined members of the Services Employee International Union (SEIU) to discuss and advocate for the care economy, a critical sector that is in dire need of federal support. Rep. Houlahan also announced her co-sponsorship of the Better Care, Better Jobs Act, introduced by Rep. Dingell (D-MI) and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). The bill would implement portions of President Biden’s American Jobs Plan related to Home Care Based Services (HCBS). 

“By 2030, 1 in 4 adults will be 65 or older, with nearly half of seniors requiring assistance with daily activities,” said Houlahan. “So, we should all be gravely concerned by the fact that 2 out of 5 consumer-directed home care workers leave their job each year due to poverty wages, lack of benefits and inadequate support. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be working in Washington to try to get the next infrastructure bill through the House. My colleagues and I have made it clear: the care economy is an integral part of the foundational bedrock of Pennsylvania’s and the nation’s economy. We have to seize on this transformative opportunity in our nation’s trajectory to deliver an infrastructure package that will meet the needs of working families across our Commonwealth.”

“For decades, caregivers have organized, spoken out, and fought tirelessly for better pay, benefits, respect and the right to form a union,” said Tom Smith, PA caregiver, member of the United Home Care Workers of PA. “We've taken our demands to the nation's highest office, and President Biden is showing he has heard us. The Biden Administration's American Jobs Plan includes a $400 billion investment in our nation's caregiving system, which will turn home care jobs into good, union, living-wage jobs while providing our communities with the care they desperately need. We’re grateful to have Rep. Houlahan as a partner in this fight.”

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Small Business Committee.