What They Are Saying: Elected Officials Highlight Build Back Better's Transformative Investment in Caregiving

The average American family spends 60% of their monthly income on health care, housing, child care, and transportation. These costs hold families back from being able to fully participate in the workforce and provide their loves ones with adequate care.

President Biden promised to rebuild the backbone of the country – the middle class.

His Build Back Better Act makes the most transformative investment in children and caregiving in generations. It will lower the cost of things working families rely on, including childcare, elder care and preschool, while creating millions of good-paying jobs, enabling more Americans to join and remain in the labor force, and growing our economy from the bottom up and the middle out.

Today, lawmakers expressed support the Build Back Better and urge its swift passage:

See below for what they are saying:

Build Back Better and the Overall Care Economy

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi: "Many families lost full-time earnings when working moms stayed home after child care options closed with COVID. Millions remain out of work as the child care crisis has gotten worse. To #BuildBackBetter with child care, universal pre-K, and paid leave lifts up working families." [Tweet, 12/14/21]

California Representative Zoe Lofgren: The #BuildBackBetter Act will deliver for California families with critical investments in childcare, universal Pre-K, paid leave, home & community based care, & expanded Child Tax Credits. I urge my Senate colleagues to quickly pass this vital legislation." [Tweet, 12/14/21]

New Jersey Representative Frank Pallone: "The high cost of child care is straining family budgets and pushing millions of Americans out of the workforce.
The #BuildBackBetter Act will help lower these costs by:

Increasing access to affordable child care
Providing universal pre-K
Extending the Child Tax Credit" [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Universal Preschool

Texas Representative Joaquin Castro: ".@POTUS's bold vision will transform early education — delivering free preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old. San Antonio's very own @PreK4SA has been a model for what can be achieved. The Senate must pass the #BuildBackBetter Act and expand access to every American community." [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Mayor Steven L. Reed, Montgomery, AL: "If we want to ensure our community has a brighter future, then we have to invest in our city's youngest residents. The #BuildBackBetter framework by @POTUS & @VP will help us do just that by offering free, universal #PreK for all 3 and 4 year olds." [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau: "Maine already dedicates funding to pre-K for four-year-olds through our school funding formula—because we believe in it. Workers & employers are loud & clear: we need high-quality universal pre-K & accessible child care. Biden's #BuildBackBetter plan helps us tackle both." [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Affordable Child Care

Senate Democrats: "WATCH: Sen. @PattyMurray lays out how #BuildBackBetter will lower childcare costs for American families. Republicans' plan for childcare costs? Do nothing." [Tweet, 12/10/21]

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf: "I'm urging the U.S. Senate to move on @POTUS's #BuildBackBetter Act for the benefit of PA families. It includes historic investments in child care—making a real difference in the lives of most Pennsylvanians by helping working parents keep their jobs and support their families." [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Madison, WI: "Lack of affordable child care is a huge problem for Madison. @POTUS #BuildBackBetter framework makes the most transformative investment in children and caregiving in generations... Offers universal and free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds Makes the largest investment in child care in the nation's history, saving most American families more than half of their spending on child care... Provides 39 million households up to $3,600 (or $300 per month) in tax cuts per child by extending the American Rescue Plan's expanded Child Tax Credit...We need Congress to get this legislation passed and to the President's desk ASAP!" [Twitter Thread, 12/14/21]

Affordable Elder Care and Disability Care

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: "Seniors and people with disabilities often prefer to live at home, in their community. The #BuildBackBetter Act will deliver affordable, high-quality home care — while supporting the workers who provide this care and ensuring they get a livable wage. It's time to pass this bill!" [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey: "In addition to a once-in-a-generation investment in working families and workers, the #BuildBackBetter Act is a critical first step toward ensuring quality care for seniors and people with disabilities." [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Virginia Senator Mark Warner: "Millions of people rely on care workers – they allow the elderly and the disabled to age with autonomy and help their families stay employed. By expanding Medicaid services for home care, #BuildBackBetter will work to improve the lives of care workers and those they serve." [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Washington Senator Patty Murray: "We can't rebuild our communities from this pandemic when older Americans and people with disabilities still have to leave the communities and homes they know and love just to get care. #BuildBackBetter will fix this by helping more people get the home care they need." [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin: "The need for high-quality, accessible, and affordable home care for seniors and disabled Americans is only growing, but high costs and care shortages have left many to rely on family for unpaid caregiving. We have to #InvestInCare. #BuildBackBetter" [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Child Tax Credit

Newsweek: Opinion: Monthly Child Tax Credit Payments Are Getting Parents Get Back To Work
[Washington Representative Suzan DelBene, 12/14/21]

"The monthly Child Tax Credit payments are supporting 36 million families, thanks to President Biden's American Rescue Plan. Parents tell me regularly that these monthly checks of up to $300 per child are helping them cover the essentials of caring for their families … Simply put, the Child Tax Credit is helping parents care for their kids and allowing them to get back to work."

"In just a few months, the enhanced benefit is already making an incredible difference for families and our economy. 3.3 million more parents say they can now put enough food on the table for their kids. Meanwhile, this policy is estimated to boost family spending by $27 billion this year and support over 500,000 full-time jobs."

"The incredible amount of data available on the Child Tax Credit all leads to the same conclusion: The monthly payments are empowering parents to provide for their children so they can return to work … We must pass the Build Back Better Act before the end of the year so these payments continue, kids can succeed, and more parents can get back to work."

Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro: "We must not miss this moment. The #ChildTaxCredit changes lives. Now is the time to pass #BuildBackBetter. 'The Child Tax Credit is Social Security for children'" [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Washington Representative Suzan DelBene: "For millions of American families, #ChildTaxCredit payments have been a lifeline & we can't let this benefit expire at the end of the year. Continuing this historic tax cut thru the #BuildBackBetter Act will empower families, grow our economy, & help parents get back to work." [Tweet, 12/14/21]

Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, Chicago, IL: "In 2022, the historic #BuildBackBetter framework will provide monthly payments to nearly 90% of American families to help with daily expenses. In Chicago, we're excited about the expanded #ChildTaxCredit & look forward to how this helps our residents." [Tweet, 12/14/21]