Build Back Better Makes Historic Downpayment in Home and Community Based Services

Be a Hero’s Ady Barkan: “Senate must now move swiftly and pass Build Back Better Act, waiting any longer would be a dereliction of duty.”

“Today’s passage of the Build Back Better Act is the biggest investment our country has seen in generations. It promises to create jobs, provide relief for working families, invests in climate change and is a historic downpayment of 150B in funding for home-and-community-based services. With this historic investment in HCBS, more states will be able to improve home care access and increase wages for care workers, meaning millions more people will be able to access care and their care workers will be paid a wage that reflects the life-saving impact of their work. The Senate must act swiftly and pass this bill, waiting any longer would be a dereliction of duty,” said Ady Barkan, Co-Founder of Be A Hero.

“The COVID-19 has exacerbated the care crisis, as more and more people develop disabilities that require home care. The greater we invest now, the more ready we will be to meet the needs of our ever-growing care crisis. The Build Back Better Act 150B down payment will prevent disabled children, adults, and seniors throughout the country from being ripped from their families and forced into institutions. Funding that would allow kids like Gavin and Taryn the opportunity to stay at home with their parents and siblings and people with disabilities like Marcos and Michelle the opportunity to be at home and live their lives with dignity and respect.”

“Every dollar spent on HCBS is a dollar spent saving lives of disabled children, adults, and seniors. Every dollar spent is an investment that helps keep disabled children home with their parents, keeps seniors in their own homes with their loved ones, and keeps disabled people safer from COVID, at a time when 138,000 people have died from COVID in nursing homes. Failure to pass this bill in the Senate expeditiously would be a dereliction of duty,” concluded Barkan.

A recent POLITICO/Morning Consult weekly poll listed “Home Care For Seniors and People with Disabilities,” as the most popular program in President Biden’s Build Back Better framework. HCBS also has overwhelming bi-partisan public support in poll after poll.

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