Murray: “As we tackle critical national security priorities, we have also got to address the child care crisis and other urgent domestic priorities that President Biden has laid out in his request.”
***WATCH: Murray talks supplemental funding request with Sen. Baldwin, Whip Clark, Ranking Member DeLauro***
ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on the President’s Supplemental Request — MORE HERE
Washington, D.C. — Today—following the submission of the President’s supplemental funding request this afternoon—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, hosted a press call and underscored that child care is a top concern for families and must be a top priority for Congress. She noted that as Congress works to address key national security priorities, it can and it must also address the problems families are facing here at home—including the child care crisis by fulfilling the President’s full request.
Senator Murray was joined on the call by: Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee; House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA-05); and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee—who also underscored the need for Congress to act on the President’s request.
“The President’s request is a reflection of how dire this crisis has grown, and it’s a testament to the growing chorus of voices making clear: we have absolutely got to address the child care crisis,” said Senator Murray. “Parents can scarcely find child care, and it’s just as tough for them to afford. Many parents—especially moms—are being forced to leave or unable to return to the workforce because it just doesn’t square with their family finances. That’s a big problem for small businesses and big firms alike. It’s a full-blown crisis—and it’s costing our economy big time.”
“Child care is a top issue for families nationwide—and it has got to be at the top of our agenda here in Congress as well,” added Senator Murray. “So I am diving into the President’s request now and am going to be working to ensure we meet these critical priorities soon.”
“There is a lot happening in the world today—not to mention a lot of chaos in some corners of Congress at the moment. I think everyone understands that. But none of it detracts from how urgent the child care crisis remains,” concluded Murray. “We are the United States of America. We can stand with our allies around the world and tackle the challenges facing our families here at home. We need to get this done—and if we can pass our domestic priorities alongside our national security priorities, let’s do it.”
A former preschool teacher herself, Senator Murray has led the fight to tackle the child care crisis in Congress—using every tool at her disposal to make progress for families as the top Democrat on the HELP Committee and now as Senate Appropriations Chair. Senator Murray was instrumental in ensuring Congress took action when the pandemic forced the child care sector to the brink of collapse. She authored the stabilization provisions in the American Rescue Plan alongside Congresswoman DeLauro and helped secure an historic $24 billion in stabilization funds and an additional $15 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the stabilization funds have kept over 220,000 child care providers across the country afloat, sustaining child care for up to 10 million children—but those funds expired at the end of September. One third of child care providers who received a stabilization grant said their child care program would have closed permanently without the grants.
Senator Murray has also successfully pushed to boost existing federal child care funding through annual appropriations—and as Chair, is pushing to keep up the momentum despite the tight fiscal constraints posed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Last year, Murray secured a 30% increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant as chair of the LHHS subcommittee, and she has boosted funding for the program by $700 million in the Senate funding bill she cleared out of Committee this summer in a 26-2 vote. She is also continuing to work to build the support needed to pass her Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to tackle the child care crisis and ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as prepared, are below:
“When it comes to our broken child care system, parents, providers, and businesses across the country are sounding the alarm louder than ever right now.
“The President’s request is a reflection of how dire this crisis has grown, and it’s a testament to the growing chorus of voices making clear: we have absolutely got to address the child care crisis.
“So I am here today with our incredible Labor-HHS Chair Tammy Baldwin, Whip Clark who is a true champion in the House for kids and families, and of course, Congresswoman DeLauro who is my tireless Democratic counterpart in the House—to make clear that Congress must listen to the families who are speaking out on child care and take action on the President’s urgent domestic supplemental request.
“Parents can scarcely find child care, and it’s just as tough for them to afford.
“Many parents—especially moms!—are being forced to leave or unable to return to the workforce because it just doesn’t square with their family finances.
“That’s a big problem for small businesses and big firms alike.
“It’s a full-blown crisis—and it’s costing our economy big time.
“And now that vital stabilization funds that I fought hard to secure with Congresswoman DeLauro have expired, this crisis is likely to get worse if we don’t act on the President’s request.
“If we don’t act soon, a system that was already struggling to survive is at real risk of crashing to the ground.
“And make no mistake—if the child care system goes into full collapse, it is taking a significant chunk of our national economy with it.
“We are talking the possibility of child care centers across the country laying off staff, being forced to raise prices, or even close their doors.
“And we are staring down even more working parents facing higher child care prices and being forced to leave their jobs to watch their kids and our economy suffering the consequences when families lose out on income and when employers can’t find workers.
“If we don’t take action, and soon, this is going to get worse, threaten billions more in lost wages, revenue, and growth and increase the already-heavy burden on families struggling to get by.
“So as we tackle critical national security priorities, we have also got to address the child care crisis and other urgent domestic priorities that President Biden has laid out in his request.
“Child care is a top issue for families nationwide—and it has got to be at the top of our agenda here in Congress as well.
“So I am diving into the President’s request now and am going to be working to ensure we meet these critical priorities soon.
“The President’s request calls for crucial investments to address the child care crisis, along with other important priorities here at home like disaster relief funding, broadband for families, supporting our wildland firefighters, and more.
“We’ve got to make good on these—just as we make good on vital national security priorities.
“And I hope our Republican colleagues will join us to get this done.
“There is a lot happening in the world today—not to mention a lot of chaos in some corners of Congress at the moment. I think everyone understands that.
“But none of it detracts from how urgent the child care crisis remains.
“We are the United States of America. We can stand with our allies around the world and tackle the challenges facing our families here at home.
“We need to get this done—and if we can pass our domestic priorities alongside our national security priorities, let’s do it.
“Let’s not wait a moment.”
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