Today, Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Co-Chairs Congresswomen Jackie Speier (CA-14), Lois Frankel (FL-21), and Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), and Vice Chair Congresswomen Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Deb Haaland (NM-01) released the following statements highlighting relief for women and families included in the American Rescue Plan, which passed the House today.

The economic fallout from COVID-19 has exacerbated economic disparities for women, especially women of color. Women have lost over 5.3 million net jobs, making up the majority of jobs lost due to the pandemic, while being the majority of our frontline workforce. Closed schools and child care centers have added to this burden. DWC leadership applauds priorities in the American Rescue Plan that will improve the lives of women and their families as we crush the virus.

“Enough is enough – women have sounded the alarm and paid the price for our abysmal family care infrastructure, including the lack of child care and paid leave. As a result, we have the lowest labor force participation for women in 33 years and are in danger of losing billions in women’s wages. The Biden Administration recognizes that women did not come all this way only to lose decades of progress they’ve made in the workforce. The investments in the American Rescue Plan to safely reopen schools, stabilize the child care industry, and get money in people’s pockets will go a long way to provide immediate relief as we work toward an equitable recovery,” said Rep. Speier.

“Women have shouldered the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic, simultaneously losing the most jobs, and making up the majority of our frontline workforce,” said Rep. Frankel. “President Biden and Congress have worked together to advance women and their families with relief that includes enhanced child tax credits, funding to reopen schools safely, and expanded access to child care.”

“Women, especially women of color, have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. With the closure of schools, child care centers, and small businesses, they’ve borne the brunt of this pandemic,” said Rep. Lawrence. “The American Rescue Plan provides the funding and resources to support women and their families during this unprecedented time. As we continue to put women’s issues front and center, it’s important that we work together to address the gender disparities we’re seeing throughout the country.”

“Working women – especially women of color – and their families have borne the brunt of the devastating health and economic coronavirus crisis,” said Rep. Escobar. “Our nation is facing a she-cession and to respond and recover, President Biden and Congress are working together to pass the American Rescue Plan. This bold bill would beat the deadly virus, return children safely to the classroom, get vaccines to Americans, and bring relief to suffering families.”

“The global pandemic has taken a heavy toll on families and communities throughout the country and disparities that already existed only got worse. As a single mom someone who has lived paycheck to paycheck, I know that women are disproportionately impacted by these crises. I’m proud to support President Biden’s American Rescue Plan to build back better and help families and small businesses across the country get back on their feet,” said Rep. Deb Haaland.

The American Rescue Plan will provide some much-needed help to women and families who have been struggling to make ends meet due to the economic fallout from COVID-19. Important provisions in the bill include:

• An infusion of $40 billion into the child care industry to help centers stay open and help families pay for care;
• The investments needed to safely reopen schools across the country;
• Paid family and medical leave for federal workers and paid leave tax credits to help more women stay in the workforce;
• A historic expansion of the child tax credit to help lift children and families out of poverty;
• A minimum wage increase to ensure front line and low-wage workers, who are disproportionately women and people of color, are paid fairly;
• $1,400 stimulus checks per family member and extended unemployment assistance; and,
• Over $50 million for the Title X Family Planning Program to ensure communities can access quality health care.

DWC leadership looks forward to continuing to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to further address economic disparities that disproportionately hurt women, especially women of color, and to ensure that women and people of color have access to economic security and opportunities during and after the pandemic.

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