Commerce Secretary Says Aging Population Will Hit US Like ‘Ton of Bricks’

July 14, 2021 by TWN Staff
Commerce Secretary Says Aging Population Will Hit US Like ‘Ton of Bricks’

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Monday that the United States’ aging population will hit the economy “like a ton of bricks” without increased federal aid for at-home elder and disabled care.

Raimondo made the comments during an interview with Reuters, in which she also said President Joe Biden has sought, but so far failed to get enough support from fellow Democrats to secure $400 billion to address the issue.

Biden was scheduled to have lunch with Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

If Congress fails to act on the president’s request, Raimondo said during the interview, it would harm the U.S. economy by making it difficult for women – who fell out of the workforce by the millions during the COVID-19 pandemic – to return to work or remain in the workforce.

Currently, 16.5% of the U.S. population of 328 million people, or 54 million, are over the age of 65, the latest census shows. By 2030, that number will rise to 74 million. The number of people over the age of 85, who generally need the most care, is growing even faster.

Biden in March proposed boosting Medicaid, the federal medical program for lower-income Americans, by $400 billion over a decade to fund at-home care for elderly and disabled people, and increasing wages for caregivers. 

He remains committed to that $400 billion figure, Raimondo said.

She said details of the pending reconciliation bill – a Democrats-only budget measure that will include parts of Biden’s spending plans not included in a pared-down bipartisan infrastructure bill – were still being worked out.

But not all Democrats are on board for the increased care spending, she said.

Raimondo said 1.5 million women still had not returned to the workforce after exiting during the pandemic to care for children whose schools had closed, and elderly and disabled relatives.

“It is a crisis,” she told Reuters. “The president’s behind it and most Democrats are behind it. We’re going to work to get the rest of them behind it. But if we don’t, we’re going to stay at it, because … it’s an untenable situation.”

A+
a-
  • baby boomers
  • COmmerce Secretary
  • Economy
  • elderly
  • Gina Raimondo
  • Joe Biden
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Health

    What Do Weight Loss Drugs Mean for a Diet Industry Built on Eating Less and Exercising More?

    NEW YORK (AP) — Ever since college, Brad Jobling struggled with his weight, fluctuating between a low of 155 pounds... Read More

    NEW YORK (AP) — Ever since college, Brad Jobling struggled with his weight, fluctuating between a low of 155 pounds when he was in his 30s to as high as 220. He spent a decade tracking calories on WeightWatchers, but the pounds he dropped always crept... Read More

    April 24, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    First Lady Jill Biden Salutes ‘The Power of Research’ at DC Symposium

    WASHINGTON — Even years after the fact, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden recalled the moment with a sense of astonished... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Even years after the fact, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden recalled the moment with a sense of astonished disbelief. Biden was second lady, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, at the time, and Maria Shriver was the first lady of California.  Both were... Read More

    April 24, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    FDA Approves New Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections

    WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) tablets for the treatment of female adults with uncomplicated urinary... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) tablets for the treatment of female adults with uncomplicated urinary tract infections.  “Uncomplicated UTIs are a very common condition impacting women and one of the most frequent reasons for antibiotic use,” said Dr. Peter Kim, M.S.,... Read More

    When Red-Hot Isn't Enough: New Heat Risk Tool Sets Magenta as Most Dangerous Level

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Forget about red hot. A new color-coded heat warning system relies on magenta to alert Americans to... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Forget about red hot. A new color-coded heat warning system relies on magenta to alert Americans to the most dangerous conditions they may see this summer. The National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday — Earth Day... Read More

    April 23, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    President Lays Out New Steps for Protecting Nation’s Waters

    WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday set out a new national goal for conserving and restoring the United States’... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday set out a new national goal for conserving and restoring the United States’ freshwater resources, including 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of rivers and streams. Officials unveiled the plan as state, tribal and local leaders from... Read More

    April 23, 2024
    by Beth McCue
    Study Finds Next-Gen Antibiotics Underutilized

    WASHINGTON — A new study conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health found clinicians frequently continue to treat... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A new study conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health found clinicians frequently continue to treat antibiotic-resistant infections with older generic antibiotics considered to be less effective and less safe than newer ones. Researchers examined the factors influencing doctors’ preference for older... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top