Congressional Comments, Letters & Testimonies

2021

• COVID-19 Letters
  • 10/19: Letter to President Biden from Argentum seeking federal support for financial relief and sustainability, workforce, testing, and vaccines/booster
  • 10/4: Letter to HHS Deputy Secretary Palm from Argentum seeking additional targeted relief for senior living
  • 8/27: Letter from Argentum to President Biden, HHS, and the CDC requesting more support for vaccines due to the Delta variant
  • 8/19: Argentum comments in response to the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard
  • 8/10: Letter from Argentum, AHCA/NCAL, LeadingAge, and ASHA to the administration requesting that they release remaining Provider Relief Fund dollars to long-term care communities
  • 8/9: Letter to Director of the CDC that outlines the support senior living needs to help providers continue to keep residents and staff safe.
  • 7/23: Letter to Congressional leaders from Argentum, AHCA/NCAL, LeadingAge, and American Seniors Housing Association asking that Provider Relief Fund monies not be used for the bipartisan infrastructure package
  • 6/25: Letter of support to Rep. Fred Keller (R-PA) for H.R. 331, the Nurses Care Act
  • 3/30: Letter to Stephen Milligan, U.S. Treasury, on state and local funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
  • 3/30: Letter to President Biden on the industry’s need for investment in the infrastructure plan
  • 3/18: Letter to HHS Secretary Becerra on the continuing needs of senior living due to COVID-19
  • 3/11: Letters to NGA, DGA, and RGA encouraging them to ask state governments to provide COVID-19 financial relief to senior living providers.
  • 1/20: Letter to President Biden emphasizing the importance of prioritizing and vaccinating all senior living residents and staff
  • 1/13: Letter to HHS Sec. Azar and CDC Director Redfield emphasizing the importance of prioritizing and vaccinating all senior living residents and staff

2020 

• COVID-19 Letters
  • 12/3: Comments to Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices regarding COVID-19 vaccine prioritization
  • 11/19: Letter to House Appropriations Committee seeking earmarked funding for senior living industry in end of year budget
  • 11/18: Letter to Senate Appropriations Committee seeking earmarked funding for senior living industry in end of year budget
  • 11/12: Co-signed letter from 19 Members of Congress to HHS Secretary Azar outlining senior living relief needs due to COVID-19
  • 11/3: Letter to HHS Secretary Azar requesting attention to inconsistencies in Provider Relief Fund reporting requirements
  • 11/3: Letter to HHS Secretary Azar indicating that providers are still waiting for essential financial relief
  • 10/22: Letter to HHS Secretary Azar seeking added financial resources and specific funding from the Provider Relief Fund
  • 10/19: Letter to HHS Secretary Azar, co-signed by ASHA, seeking a reinstatement of original reporting requirements for the Provider Relief Fund
  • 10/2: Testimony submitted for consideration to Senate HELP Committee’s “COVID-19: An Update on the Federal Response” Hearing
  • 9/29: Letter to HHS Secretary Azar, co-signed by NCAL, seeking additional relief funding for costs related to the implementation of rapid testing and ultimately vaccinations at senior living communities
  • 9/18: Letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin seeking an additional $5B relief funding for costs related to the implementation of rapid testing, screening, and ultimately vaccinations at senior living communities
  • 9/15: Letter to HHS, co-signed by ASHA, requesting prioritization and suggesting recommendations for testing for residents and staff
  • 9/11: Letters, co-signed by ASHA, to HHS Secretary Azar, CDC Director Redfield, Vice President Pence, and Congressional leaders on vaccine prioritization
  • 9/3: Letter to Co-Chairs of the Committee on Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, co-signed by ASHA, including comments on the Discussion Draft of the Preliminary Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine
  • 8/17: Letter to DOL, co-signed by ASHA, regarding “health care provider” exemptions
  • 8/6 –  Letter to Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leader McCarthy, co-signed by ASHA, requesting consideration in next COVID relief legislation
  • 7/30 – Coalition letter to Congress calling for passage of the timely, targeted, and temporary COVID-19 liability protections set forth in S. 4317, the “SAFE TO WORK Act”
  • 7/20 – Joint industry sign-on letters with ASHA, LeadingAge, and NCAL sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, along with key leaders in Congress, in addition to letters to President Trump and Vice President Pence, enumerating COVID-19 priorities
  • 6/1 – Letter to Senate leaders, co-signed by ASHA, requesting SBA PPP funding relief
  • 6/1 – Letter to Congressional leaders, co-signed by ASHA, requesting funding for senior living from the CARES Act provider fund
  • 5/28 – Coalition letter to Congress urging temporary and targeted liability protections for businesses struggling to reopen and operate safely due to COVID-19
  • 5/21 – Statement for the Record, co-signed by ASHA, for the ‘Caring for Seniors Amid the COVID-19 Crisis’ Senate Committee on Aging Committee Hearing
  • 5/19 – Letter to Congressional leaders, signed on by Argentum, advocating for the United States Postal Service
  • 5/8 – Letter to Congressional leaders, co-signed by ASHA, requesting inclusion for senior living in next legislative package (Cares 2)
  • 4/16 – Letter to HHS Secretary Azar, co-signed by ASHA, regarding priority access to PPE, testing kits, and funds from the PHSSEF
  • 4/13 – Letter to Vice President Pence, co-signed by ASHA, regarding allocating sufficient funds from the PHSSEF
  • 4/7- Letter to U.S. Small Business Administration, co-signed by ASHA, regarding access to the Paycheck Protection Program
  • 4/4 – Letter to HHS Secretary Azar, co-signed by ASHA, regarding protection from liability under the PREP Act
  • 4/2 – Letter to HHS Secretary Azar, co-signed by ASHA, on securing grant funding for senior living from the CARES Act
  • 3/23 – Letter to U.S. Department of Labor on defining “health care provider” (Signed on by Argentum, sent by Workplace Policy Institute)
  • 3/18 – Letter to U.S. Department of Labor, co-signed by ASHA, on recognizing senior care workers as “health care workers” relating to COVID-19 legislation
  • 3/16 –  Letter to Congress, co-signed by ASHA, seeking paid leave exemptions for the LTC workforce
  • 3/13 – Letters to Congress and the Administration seeking prioritization for senior living in response to COVID-19
• 3/13 – Letter to Senate Finance Subcommittee on addressing Alzheimer’s disease
• 3/5 – Letter to Sen. Toomey in support of expanding the use of retirement plan funds to obtain long-term care insurance.
• 1/28 – Comments to CMS on Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Rule

2019 

• 12/10 – Co-signed Med Ex Coalition letters to the House and the Senate
• 8/14 – Argentum letter to Rep. Smucker in support of HR1740, The Workforce for an Expanding Economy Act
• 6/26 – Argentum comments to Senate Aging Committee: Input on Falls Prevention
• 6/5 – Argentum co-signed letter to Senators Collins and Cantwell in support of the Medical Expenses Savings Act
• 6/5 – Argentum co-signed letter to Rep. Katie Porter and Rep. Kenny Merchant in support of H.R. 2073: Permanently Extend the 7.5 percent Adjusted Gross Income Floor for the Medical Expense Deduction
• 5/21 – Partnership to Protect Workplace Opportunity co-signed letter to DOL on Defining and Delimiting the Exemption for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees; Proposed Rule
• 5/21 – Argentum / ASHA co-signed letter to DOL on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees

2018 

• 8/7 – Argentum letter to Rep. Pallone, Ranking Member of House Committee on Energy & Commerce, regarding LTSS

2017 

• 11/7 – Co-signed letter to House, led by AARP, re: repeal of the medical expenses deduction
• 11/6 – Argentum co-signed letter to the House: HR 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: oppose the repeal of the medical expense deduction
• 9/22 – Argentum comments in response to the Department of Labor’s request for information, as published in the Federal Register (82 FR 34616), on the Proposed Overtime Rule
• 9/20 – Argentum Testimony for U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging (SCOA) Hearing “Disaster Preparedness and Response: The Special Needs of Older Americans”
• 6/20 – Letter to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, signed by Argentum and other associations urging House members to cosponsor the Prior Approval Reform Act
• 6/9- Coalition for a Democratic Workplace Letter of Support, signed by Argentum, in support of the Workforce Democracy & Fairness Act and the Employee Privacy Protection Act
• 2/27 – Argentum Letter to President Trump Regarding Public Health and Research Workforce and Federal Hiring
• 2/14 – Argentum Letter to the National Labor Relations Board on Restoring Balance and Fairness

2016 

• 11/7 – Argentum/ASHA Letter to Department of Health and Human Services on Proposed Rule 42 CFR Part 1007. Medicaid; Revisions to State Medicaid Fraud Control Units
• 7/21 – Argentum Letter of Support for the VA’s Proposal on Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

Prior 

• Argentum Comments to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the Commission’s Briefing Examining the Effects of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Newly Updated Guidance on the Use of Criminal Background Checks
• Argentum Letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services about Proposed Regulation Defining Home and Community-Based Setting in the Community First Choice Option Final Rule and Other Home and Community- Based Services Programs
• Argentum Letter to Department of Labor Commenting on Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Persuader Activities under the LMRDA of 1959
• Argentum Letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services about Proposed Regulation Revising the Rules Implementing Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waivers under Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act