Investing in the Care Economy -- Matt's Weekly Memo

Investing in our Caregivers through the American Jobs Plan

Dear John,

"We need caregivers to be able to take care of themselves so they can take care of other people."

That's what one Pennsylvania home care worker told me on Monday when I hosted a virtual discussion to highlight why we need to invest in care for families.

Rep. Cartwright on Facebook Live with PA Home Care Workers

Congressman Cartwright with PA home care workers Hillary Rothrock (top left), Lynn Weidner (top right) and Krysten Xanthis (bottom right).

The very people that we rely on to take care of our most vulnerable loved ones are struggling themselves. If they can barely afford rent--let alone their own health care expenses--how can we expect them to provide quality care to others? But they go to work anyway, often putting their own lives on the backburner to make sure their patients have the ability to live at home with dignity.

Health care workers, including those who care for their patients at home, have bore the brunt of this pandemic. It's about time that we listen to their concerns and deliver on our promises.

The American Jobs Plan makes a $400 billion investment in the care economy, which will allow home care workers like Krysten, Hillary and Lynn to continue providing quality care to their patients. Investing in caregivers will help Americans get back to work and improve living and working standards for caregivers in our communities.

Watch my conversation with caregivers from PA

Providing Legal Services to Seniors

Republicans and Democrats both agree: older Americans deserve accessible legal help, especially as scammers continue to use the pandemic as a way to con them out of their savings.

Senior legal hotlines are free services that provide seniors with legal help when they are victims of elder abuse, including scams and misinformation.

Over the past year, a lot of senior legal hotlines had to close their doors or reduce hours of operations because of lack of resources. This came at a time when seniors needed assistance the most as they were staying home to protect their health.

This week, I introduced the bipartisan Senior Legal Hotline Act with my Republican colleague Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania to resolve this issue once and for all. This bill will boost funding for free legal services and keep support centers up and running so that older Americans can get the help they deserve.

Another Threat to Pennsylvanians' Health Care Defeated

It was good to see that the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the GOP's latest attempt to eliminate the entire Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act yesterday.

For more than ten years, this law has been the key to health coverage for millions of working families, seniors and people with pre-existing conditions. In fact, more than 1 million Pennsylvanians have health insurance thanks to the ACA. With the rejection of this attack on Americans' health care, all Americans who rely on the ACA can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Now, I'm ready to get back to work to improve upon the ACA and make health care better and more accessible for all Americans.

COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard

The vaccines are key to changing the course of the pandemic and getting back to doing the things we love.

If you're unsure, talk to someone you trust like your doctor or a family member so you can make an informed decision about getting your vaccine.

Be safe and well,

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