Biden faces tricky political calculus on nursing home staffing plan
November 16, 2023
The Biden administration’s plan to establish national staffing minimums at nursing homes is shaping up to be a tricky political balancing act.
Why it matters: President Biden has vowed to “crack down” on nursing homes, which were at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, but his staffing proposal has split members of his own party while facing broad opposition from Republicans.
- Some Democratic lawmakers in competitive races next year are urging the administration not to move forward with a plan that they argue could force widespread closures.
- But scrapping or watering down the policy could anger progressives, who say it already doesn’t go far enough, and spark pushback from unions as Biden courts their support for his own re-election campaign.
- Health policy strategists and lobbyists told Axios that the Biden administration is in a tricky position as it tries to balance interests of progressive lawmakers demanding stronger patient protections with those of rural Democrats and the long-term care lobby on an issue many voters find deeply personal.
Read the full story from Axios here.
