Political Quotes

“Mr. President, as Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, I rise today to introduce, with the Committee's Ranking Member, Senator Bob Casey, the ``Guardianship Accountability Act of 2019,'' a bill that would assist States in improving guardianship oversight and data collection. Protecting older Americans from financial fraud and exploitation has long been one of my top priorities as Chairman of the Aging Committee. According to the National Center for State Courts, an estimated 1.3 million adults are under the care of guardians--family members or professionals--who control approximately $50 billion of their assets. Guardianship is a legal relationship created by a court that is designed to protect those with diminished or lost capacity. We found, however, that in some cases, the system lacks basic protections against inappropriate use of guardianship and abuse by those in power, leaving the most vulnerable Americans at risk of exploitation. In November 2018, the Aging Committee released a bipartisan report following a year-long investigation into State guardianship programs. Titled, ``Ensuring Trust: Strengthening State Efforts to Overhaul the Guardianship Process and Protect Older Americans,'' the report included a number of recommendations intended to help stem the wave of guardianship abuse, encourage reforms to State systems and restore trust in guardianship arrangements.…”