Hilda L. Solis: “Mr. Speaker, we need to send this bill back and report a new one out that really meets the child care needs of families…”

“Mr. Speaker, we need to send this bill back and report a new one out that really meets the child care needs of families struggling to escape poverty. The Republican bill ignores the fact that only one in seven of the children in this country who need child care are actually getting it. Their proposal sorely underfunds child care at a time when States are faced with huge deficits and waiting lists go on. In fact, I have a list here that says in my own State of California, 280,000 children are now awaiting child care services, and the list continues to grow daily. States are crying out for support and for help in this matter. How can my friends on the other side of the aisle turn their backs on these children and these families? I urge them to recognize the child care needs of working families and increase child care funding by $11 billion over a 5-year period by voting for this motion to recommit. Voting for this motion will serve an additional 2 million children by the year 2007. Let us be clear. Caring for children is not a partisan issue. It does not matter if one has an R or a D behind their name. It is about the kids. It is about the future of our economy and getting these working mothers back on their feet. These mothers want to work. Let us help them get there.”