Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of two pieces of legislation coming to the floor this week, the Child Care Is Essential Act, and the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act. This pandemic has exposed fault lines that exist just beneath the surface of our society. Whether it is a broken healthcare system or the consequences of our Nation's history of racial injustice, this pandemic is exacerbating harms done by systems that fail our families. Our system of childcare is no exception. Childcare is a powerful tool for educating our children and for fueling our economy. If we unite around its utility and take decisive action to save the childcare sector, we can help rebuild and revitalize our future. Simply put, childcare is essential. But ignored, underappreciated, and neglected for so long, our system of early care and education is now at a breaking point. Right now, 40 percent of our Nation's childcare centers and family childcare homes will be forced to close permanently without immediate financial support. Our children, moms, dads, doctors, nurses, teachers, small business owners, and over 23 million families will have nowhere to turn. Think about that. Before this pandemic, it was difficult and sometimes nearly impossible for working families to find quality, affordable childcare. If the pandemic destroys 4 out of every 10 childcare spaces, how will parents return to work? How will businesses reopen? How many children will be pushed out of their classrooms?…”