Mikie Sherrill: “I thank Chairwoman DeLauro for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am here today not just as a representative of New Jersey's 11th…”

“I thank Chairwoman DeLauro for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am here today not just as a representative of New Jersey's 11th District, but also as a working mom with four children--a mom who knows how important childcare is for our families, our businesses, and our communities. I have long said it is critical to have women serving in Congress to legislate on these important issues, and it has been my own experience--as I try to ensure that my children are doing their schoolwork while I am attending Zoom meetings, conference calls, and working to serve the families throughout the 11th District--that has led me to call experts to discuss the challenges to providing safe childcare during the pandemic. It is my experience now, as I try to piece together childcare between my husband and my two sisters and myself, and trying to come down to Washington to vote, that informs my understanding of what is going on across the Nation. Before the pandemic, 5 million children and their families relied on childcare. How we address this childcare crisis will have deep reverberations throughout our economy and on the health and safety of our families and our workers. Without the proper support for childcare to open safely and effectively, there will be no real reopening for much of the workforce.…”