Hillary Clinton Proposes Tax Credit, Social Security Expansion for Home Caregivers

At a November 22 town hall meeting in Iowa, Hillary Clinton proposed a $6,000 tax credit for home caregivers. It also would allow caregivers to accrue Social Security retirement benefits for such work.

An outline of her proposal states that “Clinton believes that it is time to give these caregiving families a tax cut”.

“I go after not just the banks”, Clinton told the crowd, pledging a tough approach to regulating the industry despite receiving tens of millions of dollars in speaking fees, donations to the Clinton family foundation and campaign cash from Wall Street in her career. Clinton has said she is willing to consider the idea but has not committed to scrap the cap, as progressive activists call the plan.

As senior living adapts amid minimum wage pressures and families increasingly face tough financial choices related to senior care, one presidential candidate has vowed to reform tax policies to better support paid and unpaid caregivers alike.

Clinton Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri told reporters “the most important moment” for the campaign during last week’s second Democratic debate was when the three discussed taxing the middle class and to expect Clinton to discuss the issue more fully in the coming days.

In her proposal, Clinton states that the number of Americans needing long-term care and support is expected to grow from about 12 million today to 27 million by 2050.

“It’s too late for tentative half-steps that sound Republican-lite.”

Clinton’s wide lead over a relatively small Democratic field also consolidates her contributions from Wall Streeters who want to support a Democrat.

“In this environment, she’s been able to stake out a more hawkish position”, Preble said.

We need Hillary Clinton as our next president to stop that from happening.

Clinton also acknowledged high out-of-pocket costs and deductibles that she says are a problem with the Affordable Care Act.

Democratic voters express at least a few confidence (but not a lot) that their candidate could actually do the things they are talking about on the campaign trail if they were elected president. “I think she delivered a message tonight that showed she is capable of fighting for the middle class”. “Perhaps she reasons that as upset as the rank and file might be, they would be more upset if a Republican” wins the White House, said Christopher Preble of the Cato Institute in Washington. He said he did like her tax-credit plan but said he does not think the plan is a finished product.

Thinking about that is why I’m proud that my union, the Service Employees global Union (SEIU), voted to endorse Hillary Clinton this week.