It is vital for the future of the American people that we do everything we can to address the challenges facing our families today. From expanding access to child care, supporting workers and advocating for better parental benefits, there is so much more Congress can do to benefit the American working family.

Here is what we need to do:

• Protect and expand equal pay. This is more than a women’s issue. When we ensure equal pay for equal work, we benefit the whole economic system. It’s as simple as this: when women make more, parents make more. And when parents make more, children do better. It is in the best interest of families from every corner of the country that we adequately compensate their mothers, sisters, and daughters.

• Expand paid parental leave. I support the FAMILY Act, which would guarantee at least 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for every worker in America — which they could use to take care of a newborn or help a family member who has fallen ill. The program is designed to benefit all working families, and provides cash benefits along with employment protections. 

• Restore the full Child Tax Credit. The 2021 expansion of the historic Child Tax Credit was a beacon of hope for thousands of American families, from every corner of the country. Pennsylvania’s expanded version of the credit –– which increased benefits by over 200% –– has helped bring thousands of children out of poverty. This tax relief for working families has been vital to communities across the country. 

• Improve Working Conditions in the Care Economy. To address the problem at its source, we have to be investing in solutions to the staffing and retention problems which plague the care industry. If we make these jobs more desirable, it will improve the quality, availability, and accessibility of child care programs around the country.

• Combat the Crisis of Maternal Mortality. The United States has the highest rates of maternal mortality in all of the developed world, at 18 deaths per 100,000 births. The rate of maternal deaths for Black women is markedly higher, at 40 deaths per 100,000 births. Improving access to reproductive health care technologies is essential to fighting this epidemic, but so is addressing the root societal causes. As a member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, I remain committed to making sure that no women die from preventable, pregnancy-related conditions.

• Advance the Child Care for Working Families Act. I was proud to help pass this landmark legislation into law. As the needs of the American working class change, we will continue to adapt legislation to ensure that a lack of access to adequate, safe, and affordable child care is never an obstacle to success.