Kathy Manning: “I would like to thank my colleague from my hometown for holding this Special Order and for all she has done on behalf of…”

“I would like to thank my colleague from my hometown for holding this Special Order and for all she has done on behalf of women. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to celebrate Women's History Month by highlighting the multiple and irreplaceable roles that women play in our communities. Generations of women have worked to balance jobs with raising children and caring for aging loved ones. This isn't new. Women have always disproportionately shouldered the burden of caring for family. But for the first time, this pandemic has highlighted the toll these various roles take on women, as so many have been forced to leave the workforce to care for others. Over the last year, 2.3 million women have left the workforce, a nearly 3 percent drop in female participation in the labor force. Several factors have contributed to this drop, but none more than the closing of childcare facilities and schools. The American Rescue Plan is helping women recover from this pandemic and return to work by bolstering the childcare sector, increasing the child tax credit, expanding paid leave, and safely reopening schools. We must treat women with dignity and respect and put into place systems that allow women to care for their families and excel at work. I proudly voted to support the American Rescue Plan because it is an important step in the right direction.”