Sheila Jackson Lee: “As a senior member of the Judiciary, Homeland, and Budget Committees, and Founding Chair of the Congressional Children's…”

“As a senior member of the Judiciary, Homeland, and Budget Committees, and Founding Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I rise in strong support of H.R. 8326, the ``Child Care is Economic Development Act''. First and foremost, I wish to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, for her leadership on this vital, bipartisan piece of legislation. H.R. 8326 requires grant applicants for certain public works and economic development projects to describe in their comprehensive economic development strategy how they will increase the accessibility of affordable, quality child care. By doing so, this bill makes it easier for child care to be an essential part of plans for local economic development projects. The child care industry has served as a crucial backbone to the United States' economy for decades, and it, too, continues to be rocked by the devastating effects of the coronavirus. Mr. Speaker, over the last few weeks, we have seen a tremendous surge in the number of coronavirus cases across the United States. As of today, health authorities have identified more than 11 million COVID-19 cases throughout the United States since the start of the pandemic in January. Just last week, my home state of Texas surpassed 1 million cases and reported over 20,000 related deaths. At the county level, Harris County, which includes my district, has reported more than 175,000 cases and over 2,360 related deaths.…”