RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, hosted another telephone town hall with Iowans on Thursday evening. She answered questions from constituents and discussed her latest COVID-19 relief efforts, including her work to support Iowa’s family caregivers.
“I have introduced a bipartisan bill called the Credit For Caring Act. This bill will provide working family caregivers with a tax credit of up to $3,000 to assist with out of pocket expenses related to caregiving, including things like transportation, home modifications to accommodate a family member, medication management services, and training or education for the caregiver,” she said.
“While family caregiver shortages existed prior to the onset of COVID-19. This current crisis is only amplifying the critical work of caregivers who support the daily needs of those who may be at greater risk to this virus and who require greater support at home. This pandemic has led to family members taking on critical caregiver roles as they provide for their loved ones while also managing financial strains and economic uncertainty,” Ernst stated.
“That’s why I’m calling on the Senate to include, at a minimum, a modified or temporary version of my bipartisan legislation in our next release package, a phase four package to help us address the financial challenges caregivers are experiencing during this pandemic,” she added.
Ernst was joined on the call by:
- Jeff Kahrs, the Regional Director for Region 7 at HHS
- Lance A. Robertson, Assistant Secretary for Aging and Administrator for the Administration for Community Living (ACL)
- Joe Sample, the Executive Director of the Iowa Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Listen: