Senator Tim Kaine met virtually with Virginia reporters Wednesday afternoon to discuss a bill he’s introducing that would help family caregivers. He also touched on yesterday’s bipartisan cooperation on Capitol Hill to pass a housing bill in the Senate and War Powers Resolution in the House. WMRA’s Calvin Pynn reports.
Senator Tim Kaine reintroduced the “Supporting Our Direct Care Workforce and Family Caregivers” Act on Wednesday. It’s meant to help an increasing number of people who are becoming in-home caregivers as more Americans are living into old age.
TIM KAINE: This is a growing phenomenon in a society where people are living longer.
To support in-home caregivers, Kaine said the bill would empower the Department of Health and Human Services to set up a national technical assistance center and grant program. That gives funds to states to train new caregivers and retain and attract professional caregivers in the workforce.
Kaine originally introduced the bill in 2021, although it didn’t make it past the senate floor despite bipartisan support. He hopes it will move as part of a larger package of healthcare and workforce related bills.
The Senator also addressed the Bipartisan housing affordability bill passed in the Senate Tuesday. President Donald Trump was set to sign the bill on Wednesday, but cancelled the signing ceremony. Kaine said that doesn’t necessarily doom the housing bill.
KAINE: If I remember School House Rock correctly, a bill becomes a law even if a president doesn’t sign it within a certain number of days, so long as he doesn’t veto it. And it would be foolish to veto it anyway because it passed by such overwhelming margins in both Houses. Those margins are veto proof.
Kaine also commented on the House of Representatives passing of a War Powers Resolution yesterday, calling it a historic action by Congress – especially one with two majority Republican houses.
KAINE: What this means is that for the first time in the history of the War Powers Act since 1973, both houses of Congress have looked a president in the eye and said: “your war is illegal and you’ve gotta stop it until congress authorizes it.” And that’s a big deal.
For WMRA News, I’m Calvin Pynn.
