Tom Daschle

Recent momentum toward health care reform and attention to the needs of the nation’s caregiving needs may be temporarily derailed by the departure of Secretary of Health nominee Tom Daschle. Read the full story

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)

Along with many economists and advocacy organizations, Rep.  Gwen Moore (D-WI) wants to see women’s poverty placed at the very top of the nation’s agenda. And she has exerted her political power as a U.S. representative to pursue this goal by advocating for the inclusion of women in President Obama’s economic stimulus package.

Moore’s passion for supporting low-income women is not just political but personal — She was a teenaged mother who lived on government assistance. Now she’s fighting to narrow the wage gap and increase post-secondary education for women on welfare. Thanks to a writeup at WomensEnews.org, we caught wind of the comments she delivered at the Democratic National Convention on women and poverty, and we tracked her down this week as she was on her way to cast votes in the House. Read the full story

Obama, Daschle, and Lambrew

In a press conference Thursday on the adminstration’s plans to address health care reform, President-Elect Barack Obama officially announced Tom Daschle as his choice for both Secretary of Health and Human Services and director of the new White House Office of Health Reform.

He also named Dr. Jeanne Lambrew, who worked on health policy at the White House from 1997 to 2000, as the deputy director of Health Reform. Read the full story

Voters in Washington State passed Initiative-1029 by a strong margin (73 percent in favor), approving a measure that will require 75 hours of training for most long-term care workers, an increase of as much as 41 hours, according to the Associated Press.

Workers must also now pass an exam to be certified as home care aides and undergo background checks for all levels of care.

The measure was originally intended for action in the legislature, but when lawmakers failed to act, supporters of the initiative succeeded in getting it on the ballot (see our Oct. 16 story). The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which has organized the state’s personal care workforce, was behind the initiative along with several consumer organizations.

The measure will go into effect in 2010.

Aaron Toleos, Online Communications Director
atoleos@phinational.org

Advocates for quality direct-care jobs don’t usually find their issues on the ballot, but voters in the state of Washington are being asked to weigh in this year.

The Olympian reports that Initiative 1029—which calls for increased training of workers who provide long-term medical care—is one of the more surprising issues on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

The initiative was originally intended for the legislature, but when lawmakers failed to act, supporters took the issue directly to the people. They collected 300,000 signatures to put the measure on the ballot.

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ANCOR is inviting direct support professionals and their supporters to rally in Washington, D.C. next month to show their support for H.R. 1279 (pdf).

DSPs to DC will convene workers, people with disabilities and their family members, providers, and advocates to “deliver a unified message about the direct support workforce crisis and the need to pass legislation to help stabilize this critical workforce,” according to an ANCOR email. The event will be held on September 8 and 9, in conjunction with ANCOR’s Governmental Activities Seminar.

Read the full story