Congressional Record, House, June 15, 2021 — American Families Plan
Summary
A page of the Congressional Record, House, dated June 15, 2021, at page H2807, carrying Special Order speeches. Mr. Estes and Mr. Hern, speaking at the Republican Study Committee hour on a budget, say the national debt is more than $28 trillion, that the debt will top 200 percent of GDP by 2051, and that the Biden administration favors big government and big taxes. Mr. Bowman, joined by members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, then speaks on the care economy and the American Families Plan, saying it should expand care workers' conditions and pay, childcare, paid leave and Medicaid home and community-based services. Speakers cite $400 billion proposed to expand the home care workforce and say no family should pay more than 7 percent of income on childcare.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Cite this document
“Congressional Record, House, June 15, 2021 — American Families Plan.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-06-15-crec-2021-06-15-pt1-pgh2807-2b4e5d5a82/
, SHA-256 c40a970ca8587eeac4c21cd1038267af01d4d1e0ab559ec1c2789cadab9fe1ee.Full text
June 15, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2807
(Mr. ESTES), my dear colleague, a their government hasn’t left them be- members with disabilities, childcare
member of the task force, to give his hind. We have a plan and it will benefit workers, home health aides, nurses,
thoughts on what he saw and worked all Americans. and so many more. Care is something
on, on our budget. I am proud of the budget we put to- we all need at different stages in our
Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, I thank gether this year, and I am ready to de- lives.
the Republican Study Committee for fend it in front of any committee and The care economy includes our essen-
hosting this Special Order hour. any Member of this House. tial workers who put their lives on the
Today, our Nation’s debt is more We have spent the last hour talking line every day during the most dev-
than $28 trillion. With a number that about conservative principles. Well, I astating global pandemic in a century.
large, it is hard to really understand want to make it clear that this budget Many of us will be caregivers ourselves,
how much taxpayer money we are real- is not just for conservatives. It is not if we haven’t been one yet.
ly talking about. Well, $28 trillion is $1 just for Republicans. It is a budget for Ask any working family about how
million 28 million times. Or another all Americans. hard it has been to find affordable,
way to think about it is it is 28 with 12 It doesn’t matter if your children quality childcare even before COVID.
zeros behind it. grow up to be Republicans or Demo- Ask a childcare worker if they can
Spending far beyond our means and crats. They will be paying for our debts afford to send their own child to the
watching the debt clock grow astro- regardless, long after we are gone. That center they work at.
nomically higher has real implications is why it is important to have leaders Ask any one of the vast majority of
for the future of our country and for who are thinking about our grand- workers who do not have paid family
our citizens. While many out there children and great-grandchildren’s fu- and medical leave how hard it is to
would like to believe that we can go on ture. care for a loved one who is ill while
spending without some sort of re- It is clear that Joe Biden, KAMALA holding on to their job.
straint and it doesn’t have any con- HARRIS, NANCY PELOSI, and CHUCK Ask anyone who qualifies for long-
sequences, common sense tells us that SCHUMER would rather auction off that term care under Medicaid but has been
is not true. future in order to pay for an unpopular unable to access it due to the
Because of overspending, the debt radical agenda. healthcare workforce shortage.
held by Americans has already eclipsed The American people need to know Ask a home health aide how much
the size of our economy and will top 200 that we are the captains of this ship they make hourly, and the need to re-
percent of the GDP by 2051. Every and we will not let economic doomsday design our care infrastructure will be-
American, adult and child, bears a bur- destroy America’s future. come abundantly clear.
den of more than $85,000. Fiscal responsibility does not have to Just as our physical infrastructure is
The problem is so stark that our be partisan, which is why I am calling crumbling, the United States today
country spends about $800 million per on my colleagues on both sides of the suffers from a lack of care infrastruc-
day on interest payments alone. The aisle to help us bring this budget to the ture. These two truths are intertwined.
net interest costs for taxpayers financ- floor for a vote. Our crumbling infrastructure dis-
I thank everyone who supported this proportionately harms Black, Brown,
ing this debt will skyrocket from 1.4
budget tonight and to everyone who Indigenous and low-income commu-
percent of GDP, about $300 billion this
helped us put it together. nities. The negative health impacts
year, to 8.6 percent of GDP. That would
Madam Speaker, I yield back the bal-
be more than 21⁄2 times higher than arising from fossil fuel use, industrial
ance of my time.
what the U.S. currently spends on de- pollution, and toxic materials in our
f homes and schools are literally making
fense as a percent of our GDP.
Another way to look at this problem AMERICAN FAMILIES PLAN us sick.
is through the lens of any family budg- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under We need to invest in eliminating car-
et and take away some zeros. the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- bon emissions, and we also need to in-
Let’s say in 2020 an individual made uary 4, 2021, the gentleman from New vest in the caregivers we are counting
$34,000. That same person spent $65,000, York (Mr. BOWMAN) is recognized for 60 on to heal us now.
meaning they spent $31,000 they didn’t minutes as the designee of the major- We are calling for a broader shift to
have. And they also had a credit card ity leader. a society based on care for the people,
with $280,000 already on it and growing. GENERAL LEAVE
communities, and the planet we share.
This would clearly be absurd and We are still grieving more than
Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask
unsustainable, yet somehow that is 600,000 lives lost to COVID in our coun-
unanimous consent that all Members
how the Federal Government operates. try, many of them caregivers them-
have 5 legislative days to revise and ex-
Madam Speaker, American families selves. In this last year, we saw how
tend their remarks and include extra-
understand that we should tackle the badly we need a robust care economy
neous material on the subject of my
spending problem first and live within and what happens when our investment
Special Order.
our means. This has to be the focus of The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there in care doesn’t match our needs.
our body. It is our duty and our respon- objection to the request of the gen- I know that for some, talking about
sibility to those we represent. tleman from New York? caregiving as infrastructure sounds
We have got to tackle the out-of-con- There was no objection. like a new idea and a ‘‘nice to have.’’
trol spending before it brings down this Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, to- None of this work is new, and all of it
great Nation. We need to stop mort- night, I am pleased to be joined by is necessary.
gaging our grandkids’ future just to many of my colleagues in the Congres- I have heard directly from New York-
sustain and spend our lifestyle today. sional Progressive Caucus to talk ers who rely on caregivers every day;
Madam Speaker, we need to do the about the long overdue investment we like a constituent of mine in West-
hard work now to address our spending, would need to make in the care econ- chester, who was born with diastrophic
balance the budget, and fiscally secure omy, something that our infrastruc- dysplasia, and wrote in about how we
our Nation for future generations. Our ture has always relied upon. need to do better by our caregivers and
constituents deserve it. I introduced the Care for All Agenda pay them a living wage. Now in her fif-
Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, the earlier this spring calling for the Fed- ties, she qualifies for Medicaid and
Biden administration has put them- eral Government to dramatically ex- needs home-based care. The home
selves on the side of Big Government, pand and strengthen the care economy. health aide who cares for her has to
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
big taxes, and big bureaucracy. The American Families Plan outlines work two additional jobs to make ends
To paraphrase the great President the next step we need to take to get meet. That should give us all pause.
Ronald Reagan, he said: You can’t be there, which must include improving One of the biggest champions for
for Big Government and still fight for work conditions and compensation for caregivers and domestic workers, Ai-
the little guy. care workers nationwide. jen Poo, said that: ‘‘The definition of
Our budget is a clear outline for mid- The care economy impacts all of us: infrastructure is that which enables so-
dle and working-class Americans that Our children, elderly loved ones, family ciety and the economy to function. So
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:59 Jun 16, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00059 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K15JN7.120 H15JNPT1
H2808 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 15, 2021
what is more fundamental than the That is what the President has pro- group homes, that saw a high spread of
ability to take care of our loved ones?’’ posed because, Madam Speaker, at the COVID.
Caregiving is almost always provided core of any society is how we care and Yet, this critical workforce shrunk
by women, especially Black and Brown look out for each other. That reality by 280,000 people at the beginning of
women. This work has historically was made undeniably clear as we have the pandemic, despite an increasing
been made invisible, which creates op- struggled to overcome the COVID–19 need for home care services. That is
portunities for the exploitation and pandemic, with over 600,000 deaths. why the Biden administration has pro-
poverty wages many of our caregivers And at the root of our recovery is posed investing $400 billion to expand
face without protection or recourse. how we look out for each other, how we the home care workforce, something I
When it comes to finding care, mil- give each other opportunities, how we was very proud to help negotiate last
lions of families are left with no option ensure that America truly is a country year as part of our Unity Task Force
but to figure it out, which we know so where we are all better off when we are on healthcare.
often means women not taking paid all better off. But we can’t stop there, and the
work in order to provide unpaid care For me, coming to this country by American Families Plan doesn’t stop
for their own families. myself at the age of 16, now getting to there. The American Families Plan
The American Families Plan will serve in the United States Congress as also recognizes that the majority of
help us bring the care economy out of the first South Asian-American caregivers, as Mr. BOWMAN said, are
the shadows with key investments in woman, I have watched how too many women and disproportionately women
childcare, paid leave, Medicaid, home people across America do not have that of color. Many of them are responsible
and community-based services, and opportunity. They do not have the in- for care at home, which is a huge rea-
more. vestments that we, as a Federal Gov- son why we have seen women forced
This goes so much deeper than mak- out of the workforce in record num-
ernment, should make in order for
ing it possible for families to enter and bers.
them to be successful.
remain in the workforce. We need to In December 2020 alone, women ac-
Now, our care economy is broad. I am
ask ourselves what kind of systems and counted for nearly all the jobs lost,
not just talking about essential
structures we want in place not only with a disproportionately high number
healthcare providers, like nurses and
for people to survive, but also to thrive of job losses coming from women of
doctors who cared for patients struck
and reach their full potential. color.
Given how common it is to need care by COVID–19. I am talking about the
That is why we need robust invest-
and not get it, we must ask ourselves: broader care infrastructure, and that ments in universal childcare. No fam-
Are we, as a nation, structured to lis- includes childcare. It includes home- ily, regardless of income, should pay
ten? Are we structured to care? and community-care services. And it more than 7 percent of their income on
We need to listen to the caregivers includes providing everyone with basic childcare. And we have to eliminate
and the families who rely on them so paid family and medical leave and administrative barriers, like work re-
that we make the most powerful in- more. quirements, that make it much more
vestments that will not only boost our The American Families Plan also in- difficult for low-income White, Black,
economy, but also allow us to heal and cludes investing in healthcare for ev- Brown, and indigenous people to access
truly move forward as a society. eryone across America, investing in childcare.
We need to rebuild our Nation with a education, the kind of education that Finally, we have to ensure strong
new foundation; a foundation rooted in gave me my opportunity to come here. labor standards for this care workforce.
love, care, and equality. That is the We need to provide that 2 years of free We cannot entrust people to care for
kind of thinking we need in the infra- community college or college for peo- the most valuable people in our lives
structure package. ple across this country so that they and deny them a living wage, the right
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to can get the additional skills they need. to join a union, and paid leave. These
yield to my other colleagues who will We need to invest in housing and, of workers give our loved ones dignity.
highlight other critical care economy course, we need to invest in this broad- They give so many of us the ability to
needs. I yield to the gentlewoman from er care economy. work outside of our homes to support
Washington (Ms. JAYAPAL), the chair of At the end of the day, our American our families.
the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Families Plan, the President’s Amer- As we talk about domestic workers, I
Ms. JAYAPAL. Madam Speaker, I ican Families Plan, the jobs plan, has am so proud to have the Domestic
thank Congressman BOWMAN for yield- to be about every person across this Workers Bill of Rights that I have in-
ing to me and also for his tremendous country, working-class, poor, people troduced in Congress. Let’s remember
leadership in the Progressive Caucus. who are seeking opportunity, people that this care work is the work that al-
We are so proud to welcome him into who deserve to have the American lows all other work to be possible.
the Progressive Caucus, into Congress, Dream that is no more; to make sure This is an important moment for us
and to have the benefit of his tremen- that every person, White, Black, and to pass the American Families Plan to
dous experience in education, in Brown, with understanding that the invest in education, to invest in
caregiving, on so many fronts. I am so disproportionate burden of our inequi- healthcare, to lower the Medicare eligi-
proud to cosponsor the Care resolution ties and racial injustices in the United bility age, to take on prescription
with the gentleman. I think it is a very States have fallen on Black, Brown, drugs, and to invest in this oh-so-im-
important statement. and Indigenous people, we need to portant care economy. It is time to de-
Madam Speaker, I am also very make sure that all people are taken liver for the American people so we
proud to be here as the chair of the care of and have opportunity. continue to build back better and en-
Congressional Progressive Caucus. This sure that everyone has the support
b 1900
is our Special Order hour that we get they need.
to devote to any topic that we want; Care infrastructure is the critical in- Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I
and, today, it is a real privilege and an frastructure that allows our families yield to the gentleman from California
honor to devote it to the American and communities to thrive and stay (Mr. TAKANO), my friend.
Families Plan. healthy. Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I
Why? Take, for instance, the home care thank the gentleman from New York
Because the American Families Plan workers across the country who have for his work. We are indeed friends. We
and the American Jobs Plan are what been serving on the front lines of the both were teachers, Mr. BOWMAN a
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
this country needs and what this coun- pandemic. For those most vulnerable principal. We are educators at heart.
try wants. Democrats, Republicans, to COVID, such as people with disabil- To recover from one of the worst eco-
and Independents across the country ities and seniors, home care workers nomic crises we have faced as a Nation,
have said clearly that they are ready were often the difference between life we must invest in families, our care
for a big, bold investment that allows and death. Home care workers allowed economy, and our Nation’s childcare.
us, allows America, to build back bet- many of those most vulnerable to avoid For most American families, quality
ter. congregate settings, like nursing and childcare and preschool are
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:59 Jun 16, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K15JN7.121 H15JNPT1
June 15, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2809
unaffordable. In Riverside County, that is really holding our road to re- children, and I urge my colleagues not
where my district, the 41st District of covery back, and it is slowing it down. to let it go to waste.
California, is located, it is unavailable. The American Families Plan is a sound Right now, the average cost of
My district is a childcare desert. My and substantive answer to meeting this childcare for children under 5 is around
constituents do not have childcare lo- challenge. $10,000 a year. This amount is even
cations available, even if eligible, to Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I higher for infants. In my home State of
help them care for their children while yield to the gentleman from Pennsyl- Minnesota, we have some of the high-
they attend school or work. vania (Mr. EVANS), my friend. est childcare costs in the Nation, rank-
It doesn’t have to be this way, and it Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I thank ing fourth in the country.
shouldn’t be this way. In fact, we the gentleman from the great State of A minimum-wage worker working
should use our path toward recovery as New York for his leadership. In such a full-time in my district in Minneapolis
an opportunity to address the dispari- short period of time, what he has dem- would have to work 30 weeks to cover
ties communities like mine have been onstrated to all of us about being a the cost of childcare for one infant.
facing when it comes to affordable leader, I applaud him for this. This is unconscionable.
childcare options. The American Fami- I am pleased to join with my col- As a mom, I know how difficult it
lies Plan will secure universal access leagues in the Progressive Caucus as can be to find affordable childcare op-
to preschool and will expand the supply we continue to advocate for President tions and how a lack of childcare im-
of quality childcare options for all fam- Biden’s American Families Plan and pacts all aspects of life, including the
ilies. investing in the care economy. ability to graduate from college while
Studies have proven that quality pre- That means things like funding for
taking care of young children or even
high-quality, affordable childcare, in-
school will positively impact children’s the ability to find a job and thrive.
cluding universal pre-K; making sure
cognitive, behavioral, and social-emo- We need universal childcare and pre-
that childcare costs do not exceed 7
tional development that is critical for K for all families, and we need to pay
percent of income for working families;
their long-term success and mental our childcare workers a living wage.
ensuring that childcare workers, who
health. If we are serious about invest- Ensuring affordable, quality care for
are largely women and people of color,
ing in our children’s education, we every child and family would stimulate
have a $15 minimum wage—let me re-
must provide universal preschool and the economy and have a lasting benefit
peat that—ensuring that childcare
affordable childcare for every child in for children’s development and growth.
workers, who are largely women and
need. The American Families Plan moves
people of color, have a $15 minimum
Investing in preschool and affordable us closer to this goal by investing in
wage; and meaningful investments in
childcare will not only help our chil- universal preschool, ensuring childcare
Medicare home and community-based
dren, but will also greatly benefit our costs do not exceed 7 percent of income
services, which would help workers in
workforce. As more preschools and for working families, and guarantees
the home care industry.
childcare centers are available, more Everyone would like to say they are childcare workers make a $15 minimum
families can get back to work without pro-family and pro-children. This is the wage.
worrying about their child’s well-being. chance to prove it. I urge my colleagues to ensure that
This is our opportunity to help strug- Earlier this month, I joined with women and families are not left behind
gling families and take bold action to SEIU members in Philadelphia to rally in our recovery. Families across Amer-
create a just and equitable post-COVID for passing $400 billion for caregiving. I ica are counting on us to do the right
economy. I urge my colleagues to in- told them funding for childcare and thing.
vest in our care economy by supporting other caregiving is essential, since we Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I
the American Families Plan Act. actually want people to be able to go yield to the gentleman from Hawaii
We just can’t go back to the way back to work. (Mr. KAHELE), my brother.
things were before. We have to be bold We started this year off big and bold Mr. KAHELE. Madam Speaker,
and act with urgency to give families with $1.9 trillion in the American Res- mahalo also to my brother and my
and parents access to the resources cue Plan. That was a big step in the freshman colleague from New York for
they need to help our country bounce right direction. It was a down pay- allowing me this opportunity to speak
back stronger than ever before. ment. about something really important in
Let me just close with a short anec- The American people voted into of- our country, and that is the American
dote, a short story. This happened on fice a Democratic President, a Demo- Families Plan.
the weekend, the Friday before the Me- cratic Senate, and a Democratic House. Today, I rise in support of our Na-
morial Day weekend. I, as chairman of As we promise to build back better, tion’s students, the future of America,
the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, they expect us to do more than just an engaged generation of young Ameri-
joined Secretary McDonough in a cere- reset the calendar to February 2020. cans working to create a better future
mony to honor our Nation’s veterans at The old normal wasn’t so great for mil- for our country. We must stand with
the Quantico cemetery. I met the com- lions of Americans, including many them. The time is now to do that, as
mander of the base, who has responsi- Philadelphians I represent. They de- they embark on their journey to
bility not just for the Marine base that serve better than the old normal. The unlock their potential and achieve
is there but also the FBI training cen- American Families Plan would do a lot their dreams. But that journey starts
ter. There are a number of different fa- to deliver on our promise. Let’s get it with a quality education and the op-
cilities that are sort of associated with done. portunity for higher education, the
the base. Again, I thank Mr. BOWMAN for his great equalizer in our society.
We just got in a chat, and I wasn’t leadership and the importance of this b 1915
fishing for any sort of answers from leadership and all the members of the
him or any information. But I said: Progressive Caucus demonstrating how Now, our children wield tremendous
What has been your biggest challenge, we are going to lead the charge. potential and remind us to dream big.
in terms of reopening your base? Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I However, too many of our students do
He said: Congressman, quite surpris- now yield to the gentlewoman from not have that opportunity because of
ingly to me, the biggest challenge has Minnesota (Ms. OMAR), my friend. the high costs of public higher edu-
been childcare. That is what has held Ms. OMAR. Madam Speaker, as our cation. Skyrocketing tuition, applica-
us back, and that has been my biggest country recovers from this devastating tion fees, student fees, overpriced text-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
challenge as a base commander. pandemic, it is critical we prioritize books, meal plans, dorm plans all con-
I said: Do you think other base com- our families. All working families de- tribute to $1.4 trillion in crushing stu-
manders across the country have had serve to thrive, and that starts with dent debt and are barriers preventing
the same challenge? ensuring high-quality, affordable all of America’s children from pursuing
He said: Yes. childcare. higher education.
This challenge of providing quality This is a generational opportunity to The American Families Plan will
childcare and preschool is something invest in affordable, quality care for all change that. The American Families
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:59 Jun 16, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K15JN7.123 H15JNPT1
H2810 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 15, 2021
Plan will enable the opportunity for of those early years were spent jug- Plan signed into law. I believe we need
every student across the country to ob- gling schedules with my wife to raise to create a system of free universal
tain a degree or certificate through a our son. I would stay home with the childcare and that our caregivers de-
community college for free. baby during the day so Mary could serve far better pay, benefits, training,
The American Families Plan is built teach in public school, and then she and protection across the board. The
to invest in our children from early would rush home and tap in while I American Families Plan is a great
childhood through postsecondary edu- took law school classes in the after- start and brings us closer to that goal.
cation. Most importantly, this plan noon and evening. Ultimately, we had Let’s get it done.
recognizes the importance of investing three kids under 5 in the house and Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. BOWMAN
in access to community college. later four kids altogether. It was joyful for his leadership in this.
Each year thousands of students in and exhilarating, but it was chal- Mr. BOWMAN. I now yield to the
my home State of Hawaii benefit from lenging and there was just no way we gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. SCHA-
community colleges across our islands, could have done it alone. KOWSKY).
but unfortunately just 50 percent of Providing quality childcare to every Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker,
those students are able to complete a family in this country means providing I appreciate Congressman BOWMAN’s or-
postsecondary degree of any kind with- every parent the opportunity to cher- ganizing this on behalf of the Congres-
in 6 years of enrolling. As a product of ish raising their child or their children sional Progressive Caucus, which I am
community college myself, and an edu- without fear of losing their income, of so proud to be a member of, and I real-
cator, I know how these public institu- losing their job, of losing their career. ly am grateful to him.
tions can positively impact our most Right now, in Michigan a year’s worth Let me just say this in no uncertain
disadvantaged communities, which is of childcare for an infant costs well terms. Care infrastructure is infra-
why for so long I have fought to re- over $10,000 on average. Who can afford structure, and it is especially true for
move barriers to higher education. that? women whose opportunities are often
The American Families Plan will re- A record number of women have limited because we don’t really have a
define access to education, taking the dropped out of the workforce during working care economy right now.
the pandemic. From August to Sep- Every single day nearly 10,000 people
long overdue step of ensuring 2 years of
tember of last year alone, in one turn 65 years old in the United States
free community college for all stu-
month, 865,000 women left the work- of America, and yet we do not have in
dents. This opportunity will invest in
force. They didn’t become unemployed. the United States a long-term-care pol-
the future of our students, prepare
They left the workforce because of icy. Think about it. The United States
them to compete and succeed in a high-
their responsibility for caregiving. And of America does not have a real long-
ly competitive global economy, and
job gains in the recovery so far are dis- term-care policy.
level the playing field. Every family tries to figure out for
Every child in our country deserves proportionately going to men.
In this crisis, we have an opportunity itself, What are we going to do when
the opportunity to live the American grandma and grandpa get older? What
Dream, but in order to achieve that, we to Build Back Better and right this his-
toric inequity. President Biden’s Amer- are we going to do when I get older?
must believe, all of us must believe What is the plan? Most people when
ican Families Plan and its investment
that we all have a stake in each other’s they retire or have to retire actually
in childcare won’t just save families
prosperity. don’t have enough money to really
money by fully or partially covering
President Biden’s vision in the Amer- make the kinds of decisions that they
their childcare costs. It will also create
ican Families Plan is a defining mo- need to and will come up.
good-paying jobs that will go predomi-
ment in our Nation’s history and will Of the people who turn 65, between 50
nantly to women and people of color.
give American children head starts and The poverty rate for early educators and 70 percent at that time need some
pave the way for the best-educated gen- in my State of Michigan is 18.9 percent, sort of support or care. Where does
eration in U.S. history. much higher, almost double compared that come from? Let me be clear; it
America’s students have an amazing to the 10.8 percent rate for Michigan mostly comes from women.
opportunity to pursue education be- workers overall. Nearly half of U.S. There is a sociologist who says many
yond high school. Let us give them childcare workers receive public in- countries have a safety net; the United
that opportunity. come support. These statistics are to- States has women. Paid and unpaid
Mahalo, Madam Speaker, and my col- tally unacceptable. caregivers are women.
league from New York. We need to take better care of the Let’s talk about the paid caregivers
Mr. BOWMAN. Thank you so much, people taking care of our children and first. People who work in nursing
Mr. KAHELE. I now yield to the gen- our seniors, and we can start by raising homes, people who work in home care.
tleman from Michigan (Mr. LEVIN). their wages to $15 an hour by 2025 with They make an average of about $12 an
Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam no subminimum wages. That would hour, with no benefits. You can’t live
Speaker, it is great to stand here with lead to higher quality care and allow on that. They certainly can’t plan for
Representative BOWMAN, with our col- workers to provide for their own fami- their retirement and to pay for some-
league JAN SCHAKOWSKY, with Mr. lies. one to care for them.
KAHELE, with all of our brothers and Let’s remember, high quality And so what do we do? It is pretty
sisters in Congress to say that we can childcare and preschool don’t just ben- clear what has to be done, and actually
and we must, and we will do so much efit working parents and the workers the Biden administration has actually
better right now for our working par- involved. They benefit our kids most of begun to do it, because everyone should
ents, our workers, our kids. all. The data on the return on invest- be able to provide and care for their
As we recover from the pandemic and ment of investing in early education in families at any age, for childcare, and
Build Back Better, we can’t forget childcare is overwhelming in terms of certainly for long-term care for the el-
about the people who make up what we these kids’ whole lives, their academic derly, which is a particular concern of
call the care economy—nursing home accomplishment, their earnings later mine.
workers, home caregivers, childcare in life. I am the co-chair of the Democratic
providers, and others who work every There is so much at stake. We can’t Caucus Task Force on Aging and Fami-
day to better the lives of other people. afford to let childcare become a bar- lies, and I am proud of that, coming up
Why is care work so important? The gaining chip in the next round of nego- with proposals that are going to help
care economy has been central to my tiations. Strengthening families, cre- our elderly. It is projected that right
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
own life. I started my career helping ating jobs, and giving kids the support now we will need about 4 million addi-
nursing home workers organize with they need to thrive should be the cen- tional caregivers, people who are either
SEIU, but I think most parents can tell terpiece of our work, not an after- paid or unpaid, by 2028. That is just
you about the importance of childcare thought. I am thrilled that the Presi- really around the corner. 4 million. We
in their own words. dent’s plan recognizes that. do not have enough.
Personally, I think back to the birth Our work in this space won’t end First of all, we have to pay the work-
of my first son, Koby, and how so much once we get the American Families ers a living wage. Now, President Biden
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:59 Jun 16, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K15JN7.125 H15JNPT1
June 15, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2811
has come up with a plan for $400 billion I rise to lend my voice to the thou- That is the type of bold, necessary
for home and community-based care. sands of care workers, disproportion- approach we should bring to this proc-
That is a lot of money. It can be a ately Black and Brown women, who ess and beyond.
game changer. spend hours upon hours meeting the The COVID–19 pandemic has exacer-
The idea is to be able to provide more care needs of others, children, the el- bated many of these challenges and
money, more wages for those who suit derly, and people with disabilities. laid bare the deep inequities and dis-
up every day and go to work, and dur- Caregivers often juggling work while parities in our Nation.
ing the pandemic often in very dan- also providing care for their own fami- From paid family and medical leave
gerous situations where they don’t lies and struggling to cover the most to home and community-based serv-
have enough of the PPE, the personal basic of needs. ices, to universal childcare, to a dig-
protective equipment, to take care of I want to take a moment to speak nified living wage and beyond, the peo-
them and protect them against the specifically on the critical role of home ple demand responsive policy that
virus. They suit up every day and go to and community-based services. During speaks to their lived experiences and
work and can barely take care of their the COVID–19 crisis and long before, struggles. The people are counting on
own families. these services have been a lifeline, sup- us to deliver.
And what about all the women who So let me make it plain: Any infra-
porting people from all walks of life
have had to leave the workforce be- structure package must deliver for our
with critical medical care in their
cause they did not have anyone to care care workers, and it must take care of
home or community. This is an issue of
for their children or for their parents the people, because the care economy
quality care, of healthcare justice, of
or both? The sandwich generation has is critical infrastructure.
disability justice, and of liberty. In this moment, as we fight for a
to worry about making sure that they Again, throughout the pandemic, strong economic recovery, we must
have someone to care for their children home and community-based services also work to build a better, a more
and someone who will help them to were a lifeline for so many, but the in- just, and more equitable economy than
take care of their elderly relatives. frastructure needs resources. The ever before.
That burden has fallen on women who Biden administration has proposed a Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, the
have ended up having to leave the historic investment in HCBS to meet American Families Plan recognizes
workforce. the scale of the need and demand. This that childcare is infrastructure, and
We need to act now. We need to act proposed investment is an investment that it is not enough to settle for any
to fill this gap, to have a real program in healthcare justice, but also an in- childcare that enables a parent to go to
for long-term care, to have real help vestment in human infrastructure, in work. This needs to be high-quality
for childcare so that women can go to our essential workers. childcare that every child can access.
work to care for their families, to have We must make these services readily Babies are born learners, and it is
the income that it really takes. available and compensate our home well established by brain science that a
This is not rocket science. It is that care workers, the majority of whom child’s environment and interactions in
we need to pay attention. We need to are women of color, with a living wage. the first 1,000 days of life, whether posi-
have the policies in place. We need to To build back better, we must center tive or negative and long before they
have the infrastructure in place, the the people. We must invest in our com- enter a kindergarten classroom, are
plan on how we are going to deliver the munities and affirm that a better world highly formative during this critical
care that is needed. Without it, we will is possible, a more just world, where period for learning and growth.
not be able to move forward economi- every person can thrive. When those formative early child-
cally in this country, and certainly We have a once-in-a-generation op- hood experiences include inadequate
women will pay, especially pay, the portunity to legislate our values and to nutrition, homelessness on other ad-
price, and often it is women that are create a more just and caring America verse childhood experiences, or ACEs,
low income, women of color that suffer. that takes care of everyone who calls such as those brought on by a global
b 1930 this great Nation home. pandemic, we know that a child’s brain
Passing a robust infrastructure pack- and body are changed in ways that are
So I am happy that we are seeing the
age that affirms care is infrastructure linked to poor health and learning out-
Biden administration, we are seeing
would leave a profound legacy. comes later in life.
the Democrats, we are seeing the pro- Without reliable supports in place to
gressives move forward with that plan Today, on the floor of the House of
buffer our kids from the stress, that
that will actually provide the infra- Representatives, we reaffirm our com-
stress can quickly turn toxic.
structure we need. mitment to building a nation where
The good news is that ACEs are pre-
And let me just end by saying that every person can live and thrive with
ventable on a national scale if we are
care infrastructure is infrastructure. dignity.
collectively willing to put in the in-
Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I As we craft a legislative response vestment worthy of our kids.
yield to the gentlewoman from Massa- that actualizes that vision, we must As the Representative for New York’s
chusetts (Ms. PRESSLEY), my friend and make plain that what is needed in this 16th District and a former educator and
sister. moment of unprecedented economic school leader, I believe our goal for
Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, I crisis is bold, intentional legislation healthy early childhood development
thank the gentleman from New York, that recognizes the dignity and human- needs to be more ambitious than the
my friend and colleague, for convening ity of all workers, and affirms the right prevention of ACEs, which aims to pro-
us this evening. to meaningful, dignified work and a tect our kids from the worse effects of
Care work is the backbone of our Na- livable wage. stress and trauma. That should be the
tion’s economy. Yet, for too long, pol- Earlier this year, I introduced a con- floor.
icymakers have failed to make the gressional resolution calling for a Fed- We, ourselves, need to move past a
critical investments needed to ensure eral job guarantee, which would pro- scarcity framework and embrace a
that everyone, at all stages of life, has vide every person in America with an framework of shared abundance.
access to the high-quality care they enforceable legal right to a quality job. That looks like affordable, reliable
need and deserve, and that our care Extending beyond a project-based ap- access to quality childcare where
workers are compensated for their es- proach, our resolution calls for the cre- young children, in the context of an
sential work with livable wages. Their ation of Federal jobs on projects that intergenerational community, are em-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
work is essential and so, too, are their meet long-neglected community, phys- powered to explore themselves and
lives. ical and human infrastructure needs, their world with pure wonder; where
I rise today on behalf of our Nation’s such as delivering high-quality care for they grow into self-directed learners,
care workers, whose labor continues to children and seniors, building and sus- collaborative leaders, and adaptive
be undervalued, undermined, and un- taining 21st century transit systems, community-centered problem solvers.
protected, despite its essential role in strengthening our neighborhoods, and Madam Speaker, I now would like to
our society. protecting the environment. speak a little bit about the child tax
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:59 Jun 16, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K15JN7.126 H15JNPT1
H2812 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 15, 2021
credit. The child tax credit has been in wages, they are unable to afford compliment all of our brave troops by
place for years, and it is supposed to childcare. comparing them to people who fight
help offset the many expenses of rais- Not being able to find a full-time under the most evil banner I think that
ing children. This includes food, health aide to provide her care means has existed, or one of the two most evil
childcare, diapers, healthcare, cloth- she is unable to receive assistance with banners that has existed in the last 100
ing, and taxes. all of her needs. Some days she only years, and that is the banner of antifa.
But before the American Rescue gets help to eat and use the toilet once b 1945
Plan, it wasn’t accessible to the fami- per day. She cannot shower as fre-
lies who needed it most because it quently as she would like. Antifa is an organization. If we had
wasn’t fully refundable. Families that She shared: ‘‘I live in constant fear their flag here before us, it is virtually
didn’t earn enough income could not that should something happen to my identical to the flag used by the com-
benefit. health aide, that my literal independ- munists in the early 1920s in Nazi Ger-
The American Rescue Plan changed ence will be taken from me overnight. many. The socialist flag at the time,
that when it enacted a much-needed I don’t know when this situation will the communist flag, allied with the So-
expansion of the child tax credit, mak- improve, and I have no other resources viet Union, which at the time millions
ing it fully refundable and increasing to lean on should my situation wors- of people were dying as they adjusted
the maximum credit from $2,000 per en.’’ to life without the czar and life under
child to $3,000 per child up through age The solution, however, is simple. We communism.
17, and $3,600 per child for children need home care jobs to be recognized The Soviet armies were soon respon-
under age 6. and treated as quality, dignified jobs sible for killing millions and millions
Because of the American Rescue with family-sustaining wages. If we of Ukrainians as they guarded the food
Plan, nearly 66 million children will pay home care workers a living wage, so the kulaks would starve to death,
benefit from the child tax credit, mak- these jobs will be filled immediately the communist armies that in Red
ing this the single largest contributor because of the high demand. We need to China caused tens of millions of deaths,
to reducing child poverty. ensure our home care jobs never be- the communist armies in Cambodia,
In my district, which includes the come minimum wage jobs again. these countries with their anti-God
Bronx and Westchester, 124,400 children I want to thank her for sharing her philosophy, proud in Red China when
will gain from the expanded child tax personal experience and allowing me to the final Christian churches were
credit. share it tonight. It goes to show how closed.
The average benefit for 41,800 house- connected and interdependent we all Of all things, to compare our troops
holds in my district is $2,800, lifting are on one another and the care econ- at D-day with antifa, I cannot imagine
9,200 children out of poverty and 4,700 omy. a greater insult to give these soldiers.
children out of deep poverty. We need to meet this dire moment I wish more of them were still alive so
This is historic, but we can’t be satis- with a substantial, transformative in- they could respond to seeing on tele-
fied with reducing child poverty. We vestment in the care economy, and we vision a TV anchor trying to compare
need to completely end child poverty must do that with the American Fami- them—these brave men to keep the
and eliminate it. lies Plan. world free—to compare them to antifa,
The American Families Plan would Madam Speaker, I yield back the bal- a group whose flag is almost identical
extend the child tax credit increases ance of my time. to the communist flag.
from the American Rescue Plan f By the way, it is not surprising that
through 2025. The infrastructure we we have a red flag for Nazi Germany
want for building back better shouldn’t BRIEF SUMMARY OF ISSUES and a red flag for the Soviet Union.
tolerate childhood poverty, and the The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under Red at the time stood for socialism.
American Families Plan moves us for- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- Our young children should be edu-
ward on that necessary path. uary 4, 2021, the Chair recognizes the cated on the comparisons between the
Before I close, I want to use my time gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. two. During the 1920s, there were times
on the House floor to share the experi- GROTHMAN) for 30 minutes. when both ideologies entered into joint
ence of a New Yorker who needs home Mr. GROTHMAN. Madam Speaker, strikes because they both wanted to
care services and wrote into my office. we are back here after 3 weeks in our get rid of what existed of a free coun-
Her experience seeking care paints a districts, and I think our minds should try in Germany at the time.
very telling picture about the state of probably be on the border and the We would like to hear from NBC.
our care economy, and makes the case thousands of people—tens of thousands Shame on you, NBC, the once-proud
for the strong investments in the of people streaming across every network. Would you respond to the
American Families Plan that we have month, or perhaps on the economic statements by Brian Williams com-
heard tonight. problems caused by higher inflation. paring the men who died at D-day, the
She shared that seniors and people But, instead, there was a few brief men who landed on European soil to
with disabilities like her struggle to statements made by one of our promi- free Europe? Will you respond to your
find the home care she needs because nent TV anchors that causes me to feel anchor implying they were the equiva-
the job pays under $13 an hour in most I have to speak tonight. lent of antifa, a group connected with
of New York State. While we were gone, we celebrated communism? Shame on that once-
One week into the COVID lockdown, both Memorial Day and the hundreds proud number one network in America.
her home health aide contracted the of thousands of American soldiers who What do you think of what you have
virus from a relative, a nursing home have died for our freedoms. We cele- done?
worker who contracted it through their brated another anniversary of D-day, The next issue I would like to com-
own caregiving job. the landing in Europe. And when we ment on that I heard about again and
The first health aide has been unable think about Memorial Day, we can’t again when I was back is an issue that
to return to work because the virus has help but remember other names of bat- is not surprising. To a certain extent,
caused long-term complications from tles during World War II: Okinawa, Iwo some of the policies of the past are re-
their immediate family members, for Jima, the Battle of the Midway, the sponsible for this, but recently, we
whom they are the primary caregiver. Battle of the Bulge, as well as all the have had a new round of checks go out,
Just 1 week after her first health soldiers who died fighting the com- a greater increase in the money supply,
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
aide contracted the virus, a second munists in Vietnam and Korea. both M1 and M2.
health aide fell ill. It is a time for superlatives talking Not surprising, when the government
While the second health aide did re- about the heroic efforts of these great prints money, we see an increase in the
cover, the health aide’s childcare pro- men and women. amount of gasoline, an increase in food
vider closed permanently. Unfortunately, on a formerly major prices led by an increase in soybeans,
The second health aide wants to re- network, NBC or MSNBC, Brian Wil- an increase in lumber, and massive in-
turn to work, but, due to the low liams decided to compare or supposedly creases in homebuilding.
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:59 Jun 16, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K15JN7.128 H15JNPT1
File and source
- File
- CREC_crec-2021-06-15_crec-2021-06-15-pt1-pgh2807.pdf
- Size
- 281,915 bytes
- SHA-256
- c40a970ca8587eeac4c21cd1038267af01d4d1e0ab559ec1c2789cadab9fe1ee
- Original
- www.govinfo.gov