TEXAS – A Texas woman had a conversation with President Joe Biden this week over video chat to discuss the challenges of being a caregiver during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The video is part of the president’s weekly video series that features conversations with Americans to discuss current issues or legislation. This week’s video is titled, “A Weekly Conversation: On The Line With Susie from Texas.”
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“When the pandemic hit, my hours were cut. So was my pay. Caregivers do not have the luxury or privilege of working remotely. I feel people undervalue caregivers in our society,” Susie said in the video.
President Biden responded, saying he understood her challenges on a personal level.
“I understand that. My mom got sick. We got hospice and help. What that made me realize was, ‘How about those people that don’t have family?’” Biden said in the video.
Susie said the job isn’t easy and requires a lot of dedication, even if it means working holidays, weekends and 24/7.
“Caregiving is a 24/7 job. You have to work holidays. You have to work weekends... it takes a lot out of you. I think so many folks work so many hours because they’re not getting the pay they deserve. We need to get people to want to do this kind of work,” Susie said in the video.
The president responded and said he is working on “caregiver legislation” that would help provide better wages and benefits for caregivers.
“That’s why we’re gonna make sure, in this caregiver legislation I have, you’ll be in a position to get wages and benefits for the job you do,” Biden said in the video. “I appreciate what you’ve done. People like you should be rewarded adequately for what you do. You’re an essential part of whether or not people can live full lives.”
For more videos that are part of the Weekly Conversation series, visit the White House’s YouTube channel here.
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