PL+US on American Jobs Plan: "Investments we make in our physical infrastructure... must be matched with similarly strong investments in working families."

This afternoon, President Joe Biden is set to unveil the first of a two-part recovery package, the American Jobs Plan, during a speech in Pittsburgh, PA.

The following is a statement from Molly Day, interim Executive Director for Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US), responding to the first part of Biden’s American Jobs Plan and the need for a similarly strong investment in the nation’s care infrastructure.

“Our country’s care infrastructure is critical to our economic recovery and resilience. The investments we make in our physical infrastructure, like roads and bridges, must be matched with similarly strong investments in working families. A comprehensive and bold vision for long-term, sustainable economic growth must center working people, families, and children and it must include paid family and medical leave.

“The pandemic made crystal clear that the schools, daycares, and paid leave that allow us to care for our families while we’re on the job are just as important as the roads and bridges we use to get there.

“Paid family leave, childcare, and other core elements of our nation’s care infrastructure are essential benefits that help businesses compete and give working people a chance to keep their jobs, earn a paycheck, and keep their families safe and healthy -- and they must be included in any comprehensive plan for economic recovery.

“We are encouraged by President Biden’s repeated commitment, both on the campaign trail and in office, to investing in care and paid family and medical leave. We look forward to seeing his specific proposal for investing in the country’s essential care infrastructure, including paid family and medical leave, in the next part of the recovery package.” -- Molly Day, interim Executive Director, Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US)