More Than 1.2 Million Americans and Their Families Rely on Nursing Homes for Lifeline Care as America Continues to Face an Understaffing Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), and five Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce a bill to restore 24/7, common sense, on-site nursing staffing requirements that would improve quality and safety in nursing homes, following Republican efforts to roll back staffing standards that keep seniors safe. Republicans delayed the standards for nine years in the Big Ugly Bill and Donald Trump eliminated them after executives reportedly donated millions of dollars to his super PAC.
“We have no bigger obligation than to look after each other, as loved ones and as a nation. As a Congress, we need to step up in this moment to look after our seniors,” said Senator Kim. “Safe staffing ratios make this easier. It means the staff we rely on to look after our loved ones can be supported, and that we can help build the care workforce we need for an aging population. It’s what our families and caregivers deserve.”
“For American families with a loved one in a nursing home, there is no greater fear than the prospect of an unsafe environment that could lead to abuse or neglect,” said Senator Wyden. “Republican actions and Trump’s backdoor deals with big executives mean your loved one’s nursing home will be less safe. It’s time to guarantee residents in nursing homes receive the quality of care they deserve and to lift the strain off long-term care workers reaching the breaking point.”
Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.); Richard Blumenthal, (D-CT); Chris Murphy (D-CT); Elizabeth Warren (D-MA); and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), joined Senators Kim and Wyden in introducing the Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act.
Text of the Bill Summary (PDF)
In 2024, the federal government finalized overdue federal minimum staffing standards for nursing homes that required a registered nurse (RN) on-site 24/7 to provide residents with no less than three and a half hours of care daily, which ultimately could have saved 13,000 lives per year. Thanks to the Trump administration revoking these nursing home protections, residents are left toendure months without showers, days trapped in bed sitting in their own waste, and missed meals and medications.
Adequate staffing is the single most important factor ensuring quality of care in nursing homes. Nearly all voters 50 and older support minimum staffing standards in nursing homes. Trump and Republicans’ rollback of these standards also undermines America’s health care workforce by straining already underpaid staff and creating impossible environments to provide the care residents deserve.
The Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act would restore common-sense protections and make nursing homes safe by:
- Requiring a nurse to be in a nursing home 24/7.
- Creating an initial federal minimum staffing standard confirming that each resident receives at least three and a half hours of nursing care per day.
- Requiring regular, evidence-based updates to federal staffing standards to reflect the changing needs of residents.
- Providing permanent funding for nursing home inspections, surveys, and enforcement to make sure nursing homes comply with staffing requirements.
- Reinvesting civil monetary penalties imposed on nursing homes into supporting the recruitment and retention of nursing home workers.
- Holding nursing homes accountable for investing taxpayer dollars in the frontline nursing home workforce.
Senator Kim is committed to tangible solutions that build a future for America shaped by care for one another and our nation. While sharing his personal experiences of becoming his father’s caregiver, he’s outlined the importance ofa care movement to deliver for the millions struggling to get care in our country. In addition to introducing the Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act today, Senator Kim has stood against Republican efforts to raise healthcare costs and cut care access, as well as championed efforts to support New Jersey’s caregivers and prevent cuts to Medicaid coverage that caregivers rely on and deliver every worker access to paid leave to support the care of a loved one or themselves.
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