Supporting working families

As a Congresswoman and a mom, I am committed to enacting policies that support families and strengthen our economy – for everyone.

Paid Family Leave and Sick Days: In today’s workplace, taking time off to bond with a new baby or to care for a sick loved one is a luxury few can afford. We are the only industrialized nation that does not require some level of paid family leave, which means too many parents and caregivers are put in the impossible situation of having to choose between their need to earn a paycheck and caring for a new baby or sick family member. I am working to pass legislation that will provide 12 weeks of paid leave for workers to care for a newborn or adopted child or a sick family member, and at least seven job-protected paid sick or safe days.

Affordable child care: In Oregon, the cost of child care is the fourth highest in the country for an infant and fifth highest for children under the age of four. We have more children in need of care than slots available, driving the prices even higher. The pandemic has further exacerbated this ongoing crisis, and care providers are struggling to stay afloat as emergency pandemic aid ends. I have secured significant additional funding for child care providers this Congress, and I am fighting for continued federal funding to make both child care and early childhood education affordable and accessible. This is a good investment that will save money in the long run and, importantly, give Oregonians and Americans the opportunity to create a better life and a better future for their children.

Retirement security: For decades, workers achieved retirement security through a combination of employer-provided pensions, personal savings, and Social Security. Today, however, significantly fewer employers provide retirement plans to their workers. In fact, there are more than 68 million people in our workforce whose employers do not offer any type of retirement savings plan. Social Security is an essential tool that helps retirees make ends meet, but it is not intended to be the sole form of income in retirement. We need new ways to provide workers with retirement security. I also introduced legislation to make it easier for people to access savings accounts from past jobs so they can retrieve and keep the money they earned.