Empowering Employer Child and Elder Care Solutions Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, we have a childcare crisis in this country. In my home State of Pennsylvania, infant and toddler care costs on average $14,000 per year. That is almost one-half of the average annual salary of the childcare workers in my district.

Childcare, if folks can even find it, is pushing families into poverty as they are forced to make impossible choices between paying the rent or paying for care, between staying employed or staying home.

Republicans are doing everything in their power to undermine investments in childcare, including with this bill, which will allow employers to exclude childcare benefits from overtime pay.

Employees working overtime are the ones who need childcare the most and the bill undermines workers' ability to pay for that care.

For this reason, at the appropriate time I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill.

My amendment would replace the text of this bill with the Child Care for Working Families Act.

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Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, my legislation with Ranking Member Bobby Scott would make sure families actually have access to childcare slots, that no family spends more than 7 percent of their income on childcare, and that all early childhood educators make a livable wage.

If Republicans actually care about children and families, then I encourage them to pass the Child Care for Working Families Act. I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.

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Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

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Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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