WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Members of Congress, Labor Leaders, and Advocacy Groups Applaud Proposed Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Standards

Last week, the Biden-Harris Administration followed through on the President Biden's State of the Union commitment to improve nursing home safety and quality, by announcing proposed federal minimum staffing requirements, tougher enforcement initiatives, and efforts to expand the nursing workforce. As President Biden explained in a USAToday Op-Ed, "We are working to make sure no nursing home can sacrifice the safety of its residents just to add some dollars to its bottom line" including by proposing a requirement that every nursing facility "provide a registered nurse on site 24/7 and have enough nurses and nurse aides to provide routine bedside care, among other tasks." These actions have been recognized as a step forward by a range of national leaders.

See below for what they are saying:

Congressional Leaders

Pennsylvania Senator, Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Bob Casey: "Our Nation's 1.2 million nursing home residents expect and deserve high quality care that prioritizes health, safety, and human dignity. But for too long, many nursing homes have not met this threshold due to understaffing and inadequate enforcement. This proposed rule, which both establishes staffing minimums and improves enforcement of nursing home violations, would be an important step towards ensuring that all nursing homes provide the care that all residents need and deserve." [Press Release, 09/01/23]

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren: "I've fought hard for stronger oversight of nursing homes, which have been cutting corners to pad their profits for years. By proposing first-ever staffing standards, @POTUS is showing seniors & workers that he has their back. We must build on this progress." [Tweet, 09/01/23]

Community, Advocacy and Labor Organizations

Mary Kay Henry, International President, SEIU: "President Biden's 2022 announcement of a plan for bold reform of the nursing home industry gave hope to nursing home workers all across the country. And today, the Biden Administration has taken an historic first step toward realizing that promise by issuing an unprecedented proposed rule on nursing home staffing. The new proposed staffing rule is a testament to the relentless advocacy of the majority woman-of-color-powered nursing home workforce. With this proposal, the Biden Administration sends a powerful message: All nursing homes must be held accountable to minimum staffing standards that will keep residents and workers safe, and ensure that public funding is spent in ways that allow caregivers to deliver the best care possible. Our country's long term care system is in the midst of a catastrophic crisis, and nursing home workers and residents have suffered unspeakable consequences. In the absence of a federal staffing standard, nursing home workers have endured complete physical, mental and emotional exhaustion due to understaffed shifts and unsafe working conditions, and nursing home residents have been robbed of the quality care and quality of life they deserve. Nursing home workers have claimed this moment to speak the truth: The days of irresponsible nursing home owners jeopardizing the health and safety of nursing home workers and residents must end now. The members of SEIU will continue to advocate to ensure that the proposed rule announced today is strengthened, finalized, and implemented with rigor so that nursing home workers and residents are safe and residents receive the care they deserve, every day, regardless of where they live and work." [Press Release, 09/01/23]

Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer, AARP: "COVID-19 revealed what AARP and other advocates have been saying for decades: the lack of standards and poor-quality care in too many of America's nursing homes is deadly. Far too many Americans died in those facilities, which have been plagued with problems for many years. Today's proposal is an important step to establish a minimum nursing home staffing standard. We are pleased the proposal would require nursing homes to have a registered nurse on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. AARP will continue to fight to ensure every person living in a nursing home can live in dignity and get the care they deserve." [Press Release, 09/01/23]

Liz Shuler, President, AFL-CIO: "Our country doesn't have a shortage of good nursing home workers—just a shortage of good nursing home jobs. Workers and the families of residents have been sounding the alarm for decades about the need for a minimum national staffing standard in nursing homes, and we commend the Biden–Harris administration for answering the call. We are hopeful that today's announcement of a proposed minimum national standard will be a critical first step toward strengthening our long-term care system, preventing unnecessary worker injury and burnout, and giving working families peace of mind that our loved ones will receive the high-quality care they deserve. This administration has listened to our concerns and we look forward to working with them throughout the regulatory process to improve the proposed rule. This proposed regulation is about improving the quality of care and jobs in nursing homes, but its importance goes beyond this one sector. Corporations long have prioritized cutting costs rather than shoring up safety for health care workers and the people who rely on these life-sustaining services. Workers continue to bear the brunt of the care economy crisis and are stretched thin by a severe lack of resources. Care workers are egregiously underpaid and deeply undervalued, and it's past time they receive good pay and dignity on the job. This minimum staffing standard, as well as the recent release of the proposed rule to increase the transparency of nursing home finances, has the potential to enhance our nation's care infrastructure and ensure all working families have access to the care they need in a setting that is right for them. It is paramount that these rules are finalized, and we are ready to mobilize our members to make sure that happens." [Press Release, 09/01/23]

Lee Saunders, President, AFSCME: "[O]n behalf of AFSCME nursing home workers and all AFSCME members, I am grateful for this proposed rule, which takes important steps toward addressing the problem – including a requirement that a registered nurse be on site at all hours and protections that provide for greater levels of personal care by nurse aides. These aides are the backbone of the nursing home sector, and they need additional support in order to provide compassionate care to some of our most vulnerable people. . . .Too often, nursing homes are run by private corporations who care about cost-cutting and profit-making above all. This proposed rule puts the dignity of staff and residents front and center where they belong. I had the privilege of accompanying AFSCME nurses to a recent meeting with Secretary Becerra, where we discussed the health care staffing crisis at length and strongly urged the administration to take bold action. AFSCME will be submitting a public comment on this proposed rule, and we look forward to these reforms becoming a reality on the ground for the courageous everyday heroes who do this essential work." [Press Release, 09/01/23]

Nicole Jorwic, Chief of Campaigns and Advocacy, Caring Across Generations: "First ever #NursingHome staffing ratio rule released. Despite hard lobbying from the industry, shows the power of residents, workers & their families. Let's now fight for better pay for all care workers so good care is received everywhere #CareCantWait" [Tweet, 09/01/23]

Sharita Gruberg, Vice President for Economic Justice at the National Partnership for Women & Families: "This is a BFD. Just this am my dad didn't get his meds bc there wasn't someone available to give it to him. I'm luckily visiting but ensuring there's enough staff to care for him would bring me peace of mind when I'm hundreds of miles away back home." [Tweet, 09/01/23]