Deb Fischer: “I rise today to speak about the reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program. I thank the…”

“I rise today to speak about the reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program. I thank the Senator from Maryland for her courtesy. In addition, I would like to address an amendment I have proposed to the underlying bill. Promoting policies that enable job creation is a basic duty of the people's government. This bill we have on the floor before us now provides low-income, hard-working mothers and fathers with the opportunity to have quality childcare while they earn a steady paycheck or as they go back to school. Americans work hard. They work hard to provide for their families and to make a better life for their children. As a mother and a grandmother I understand that knowing your children are safe and secure is essential to maintaining a steady job. We need to encourage responsible adults to enter and to maintain their presence in our workforce. That is why I appreciate my colleagues' work and their compromise on this bipartisan legislation. I also appreciate how this effort has helped to bring some regular order back to the processes of the Senate. I especially want to recognize Senators Barbara Mikulski, Lamar Alexander, and Richard Burr, who I know worked very hard in a collaborative and bipartisan fashion in order to get this bill to the floor. As part of that process, I filed a proposed amendment that I have with Senator King and Senator Rubio to the child care and development block grant reauthorization.…”