Statements
Breaking: Marco Rubio Skips Aging Committee Hearing, Ignoring Testimony From A Florida Senior
Today Marco Rubio failed to show up to the Senate Special Committee On Aging to hear testimony from a 76-year-old Jacksonville woman enrolled in Medicaid. As the committee discussed ways to improve long-term care for seniors and lower health care costs, Rubio was nowhere to be found.
“After Marco Rubio refused to denounce a Republican plan that could end Social Security and Medicare, his decision today to skip a hearing where a Floridian gave testimony about the importance of protecting seniors’ health care is yet another sign of his heartless abandonment of Florida seniors,” said Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Grant Fox.
While Marco Rubio was skipping the hearing, Alene Shaheed from Jacksonville testified about the need to improve long-term care services for seniors like her. Highlights of what she told the committee include:
- “I’m very fortunate that I am in the long-term care program in Florida since thousands of people in my situation are on waiting lists because there isn’t enough funding for the program. Even being enrolled in the program, I have always experienced gaps in my services when a home care aide didn’t show up for various reasons.”
- “While I am approved for help seven days a week for five hours a day, right now I can only find an aide for 20 hours a week…This means I am unable to shower for three days. I cannot take out the trash since I can’t get in and out of the trash room with my wheelchair, which is important for cleanliness. I can only make easy-to-prepare food on my own.”
- “Why is this happening to me and so many thousands of others? It’s due to the underfunding of Medicaid and the wages of home care workers are too low…The workers are hurt by how little they are paid and I am hurt by how little they are paid. Valuing me means valuing them and valuing them means valuing me. And we all deserve to be valued.”
This isn’t the first time Marco Rubio has dismissed the needs of Florida seniors. He promised to oppose legislation last year that would invest in long-term care and lower health care costs. Rubio has skipped every Aging Committee so far this year, even as Florida seniors have called on him to show up for them.
###