More Than 1.2 Million Americans and Their Families Rely on Nursing Homes for Lifeline Care as America Continues to Face an Understaffing Crisis
Senate Democrats Introduce Legislation to Restore 24/7 On-site Nursing, Common Sense Staffing Requirements
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., led six Senate Democrats today as they introduced a bill that would improve quality and safety in nursing homes, following Republican efforts to roll back staffing standards that keep seniors safe. Republicans delayed the standards for nine years in the Big Ugly Bill and Donald Trump eliminated them after executives reportedly donated millions of dollars to his super PAC.
Senators joining Wyden in the introduction of the Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act include Senators Andy Kim, D-N.J.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.
“For American families with a loved one in a nursing home, there is no greater fear than the prospect of an unsafe environment that could lead to abuse or neglect,” Senator Wyden said. “Republican actions and Trump’s backdoor deals with big executives mean your loved one’s nursing home will be less safe. It’s time to guarantee residents in nursing homes receive the quality of care they deserve and to lift the strain off long-term care workers reaching the breaking point.”
“We have no bigger obligation than to look after each other, as loved ones and as a nation. As a Congress, we need to step up in this moment to look after our seniors,” said Senator Kim. “Safe staffing ratios make this easier. It means the staff we rely on to look after our loved ones can be supported, and that we can help build the care workforce we need for an aging population. It’s what our families and caregivers deserve.”
“This legislation restores commonsense protections at nursing homes and bolsters safety standards to ensure residents receive quality care. The Trump Administration’s rolling back of staffing standards burdens an already strained workforce and leaves residents vulnerable to the devastating consequences of an understaffed facility. This bill ensures that nursing home residents receive proper care and give their loved ones peace of mind that they are being treated with dignity,” said Senator Blumenthal.
“We need basic, humane minimum staffing levels in nursing homes,” said Senator Murphy. “Under the previous administration, we were on that path, but – in yet another act of brazen corruption – Donald Trump reversed course after nursing home executives donated millions to his campaign. These wealthy executives are making themselves filthy rich off taxpayer funds while seniors and the staff who care for them suffer. Congress can put a stop to this corruption by making dignified nursing staff requirements the law and putting seniors and nurses ahead of billionaire donors.”
“It’s a no-brainer that Americans in nursing homes should have safe, high-quality care. But Republicans rolled back life-saving staffing requirements to pay for giant health care cuts, and Donald Trump finished the job after nursing home executives cut him a big check,” said Senator Warren. “Democrats are fighting back to protect nursing home residents and the long-term care workers who care for them.”
“For families across New Mexico, adequate staffing in nursing homes is about ensuring our loved ones have the quality of life they deserve,” said Senator Luján. “Staffing levels directly affect the health and safety of all residents and help ensure they are treated with dignity. When President Trump and Congressional Republicans roll back staffing standards, our seniors pay the price. Seniors are put at risk, and health care workers are stretched too thin. New Mexico seniors deserve better.”
In 2024, the federal government finalized overdue federal minimum staffing standards that required a registered nurse (RN) on-site 24/7 to provide residents with no less than three and a half hours of care daily, which ultimately could have saved 13,000 lives per year. Thanks to the Trump administration revoking these nursing home protections, residents are left to endure months without showers, days trapped in bed sitting in their own waste, and missed meals and medications.
Adequate staffing is the single most important factor ensuring quality of care in nursing homes. Nearly all voters 50 and older support minimum staffing standards in nursing homes. Trump and Republicans’ rollback of these standards also undermines America’s health care workforce by straining already underpaid staff and creating impossible environments to provide the care residents deserve.
The Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act would restore common-sense protections and make nursing homes safe by:
- Requiring a nurse to be in a nursing home 24/7.
- Creating an initial federal minimum staffing standard confirming that each resident receives at least three and a half hours of nursing care per day.
- Requiring regular, evidence-based updates to federal staffing standards to reflect the changing needs of residents.
- Providing permanent funding for nursing home inspections, surveys, and enforcement to make sure nursing homes comply with staffing requirements.
- Reinvesting civil monetary penalties imposed on nursing homes into supporting the recruitment and retention of nursing home workers.
- Holding nursing homes accountable for investing taxpayer dollars in the frontline nursing home workforce.
Wyden has long been an advocate for raising the bar for quality in nursing homes. In 2024, Wyden supported new staffing standards when they were finalized. In June 2025, Wyden highlighted the threat to nursing homes if Republicans greenlighted the largest cuts to Medicaid in history.
A one-pager of the bill is here.
A section-by-section summary of the bill is here.
The text of the bill is here.
A web version of this release is here.
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