Congressional Record, Senate, August 6, 2022: Childcare, Page S4060
Summary
A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated August 6, 2022, at page S4060. A Senator speaks in favor of the Inflation Reduction Act, saying the bill will give Medicare power to negotiate drug prices, cap seniors' annual drug costs and cap insulin at $35 a month. She then says there is a childcare crisis, that the childcare system is broken, and that she will stay in the fight for families. Mr. Schumer, under the heading Childcare, thanks her and says the Inflation Reduction Act will bring down the deficit by more than $300 billion. The remarks are the speakers' own.
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“Congressional Record, Senate, August 6, 2022: Childcare, Page S4060.”
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S4060 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 6, 2022
used, and give companies a good reason complishes, we have not yet addressed And guess what. I am not the only
to build more of these cars in America. a critical issue families face today: ac- one fighting today. There are parents
We aren’t just cutting energy costs, cess to high-quality childcare. and advocates across the country who
though. No one should have to worry There is a childcare crisis in this are fighting for this, who know how
about whether they can afford the country, and the time to address it is critical this is for our families. There
healthcare they need, but I have heard now. There can be no more excuses. We are small business owners who under-
from countless patients who worked cannot simply vote on this package stand how critical this is to strength-
their whole life, who saved their and call it a day. Our childcare system ening our economy—real people, not
money, but still had to work an extra isn’t just stretched thin; it is broken. some army of invisible lobbyists. So I
job or move in with their family or Talk to parents, talk to businesses, am here right now to be a voice for
even ration their prescription just to talk to anyone, and it is painfully obvi- them, and I am asking everyone here in
make ends meet. ous that our childcare system isn’t Congress to step up and speak for these
Lifesaving medicine doesn’t do any working for families, providers, or our families too. We have to get this done.
good if people can’t afford it. That is economy and hasn’t been for some We must make this a priority. We must
why this bill will finally give Medicare time. address this urgent crisis before it is
power to negotiate. We are going to Right now, families from Seattle to too late.
force drug companies to the bargaining Spokane are stressed. They are staying So I want everyone to know I am
table, and patients everywhere are up late at night, trying to figure out going to stay in this fight for moms
going to benefit. It will also cap sen- how on Earth they are going to find a and for our kids, and you better be-
iors’ annual drug costs and cap insulin childcare opening or how they are lieve, one day, we are going to win this.
at $35 a month and protect patients going to afford it if they ever get off a I yield the floor.
from companies that are jacking up wait list. When they can’t find and af- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma-
prices on them with reckless abandon. ford childcare, as is all too often the jority leader.
It extends the healthcare coverage re- case, parents—moms in particular— f
lief that helped millions of people save have to leave their job and stay out of
the workforce, all while childcare CHILDCARE
thousands of dollars on their
healthcare this year. workers are being paid poverty wages, Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President,
This isn’t just saving people money; struggling to make ends meet and pro- well, first, I want to thank my dear
this is going to save lives—patients vide for their own families, and they friend and our great leader and chair of
who are rationing their prescriptions, are leaving their jobs for better paying the Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
afraid to see their doctors not because work at fast food chains and big box sions Committee for her positive words
they are scared of getting a diagnosis stores, which pay them more than on this bill and her reminder to all of
but because they are scared of the price their childcare position. us that our work is not done and par-
tag. If that is not the goal when we We have to do better for kids, for ticularly for her work on one of the
come to work every day, then I don’t moms, for workers, for our economy, most urgent issues facing American
know what is. for everyone, or this is just going to families: childcare. I don’t know of a
But the Inflation Reduction Act keep getting worse. single Member of this Senate, Demo-
won’t just bring down families’ every- I know all of my colleagues have crat or Republican, who has done more
day costs; it will bring down the deficit heard me say this before—you have to push the issue of childcare and get it
by more than $300 billion because every probably heard me say it 100 times— done than the senior Senator from the
cent of this bill is paid for by closing but I want to be clear: The childcare great State of Washington, and I thank
loopholes used by enormous corpora- system is on the brink of collapse, and her for that.
tions. There is no reason a company parents are telling us every single day I want to thank my colleagues Sen-
making a billion-dollar profit should this is an urgent crisis. ator KAINE and Senator BLUMENTHAL,
pay a smaller tax rate than a mom- The emergency support that we did who have also been such strong leaders
and-pop shop in Washington State or a provide in the American Rescue Plan on this issue.
firefighter or a teacher in Walla Walla, was hugely helpful, but it is going to I am here to say that what they are
WA, so Democrats won’t let it fly any run out, and soon, and families who are saying—Senator MURRAY, Senator
longer. already at their wits’ end will feel the BLUMENTHAL, Senator KAINE—is right.
Those big billion-dollar companies? pressure. We need to do something in this coun-
They are going to pay no less than the So we need to lower the cost for fam- try to lower childcare costs and in-
same 15 percent in taxes that many of ilies as we fight inflation. We need to crease its availability. I pledge to my
our small businesses already pay. expand parents’ options so they can go colleagues and to the American people
Those stock buyback schemes that line back to work and support the childcare that I will keep working with Senator
the pockets of corporate executives and workers caring for and educating our MURRAY until we get something done
Wall Street investors but do nothing kids each and every day. Now, I have to increase access to high-quality
for working families? They are going to been putting forward proposal after childcare for working families.
be taxed so companies pay their fair proposal to do exactly this, and I am We all know that, today, families pay
share. As for everyday Americans, they working with anyone I can to make more for childcare than at any point in
won’t see their taxes go up one penny. progress here because this isn’t a ‘‘my American history. Amazingly, some-
Make no mistake, the Inflation Re- way or the highway’’ proposal. It never times families have to pay more for
duction Act represents historic was. I hope my colleagues know that is childcare than they would pay for a
progress. There is simply no reason not how I operate. What I am talking mortgage. It is out of reach.
anyone should be against these policies about here is delivering a lifeline to Some people forget how the world
and many reasons to get this done now. kids, to moms, to our childcare indus- has changed. When I was a kid, my dad
This is not a bill for Democrats or try, not to mention the businesses and had this little junky exterminating
Republicans; it is legislation that will industries that desperately want to business. My mom was what was then
help all Americans—lowering prescrip- hire more workers. called a housewife. I got home from
tion drug costs, making healthcare I am deeply disappointed that Con- school every day at 3 o’clock, and there
more accessible and more affordable gress has failed to meet this crucial was Mom with milk and cookies, ask-
than ever, and pass the largest invest- moment for our families and our ing me what homework I had—oh, I
ment in climate action in our coun- childcare providers, so let me just say don’t have any homework, Mom—and
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
try’s history—all paid for. this: I have been fighting for childcare telling me what time I had to come
f my entire career, since before I ever back home from going out and playing
got here to the U.S. Senate. In fact, for in the schoolyard for dinner.
CHILDCARE a very long time, I was the only person That doesn’t happen anymore. The
Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, in the room fighting. So I am not going vast majority of families in America
but for everything good this bill ac- to stop anytime soon. are either single parent or two parents,
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