Sep 10, 2021
CONTACT:
Neil Sroka, neil@paidleave.us
Kristina Hagen, kristina@familyfriendlyeconomyva.org
Virginians and White House Adviser at PL+US, CFFE VA Teletownhall Reinforce Need for Care Investments As Part of Build Back Better
“People like me are struggling to make ends meet because they don't have paid leave or affordable child care options, which is ridiculous. It just hurts our economy by forcing people like me out of the workforce.”
Richmond, VA. – As Congress finalizes its historic budget reconciliation package hundreds of Virginians gathered for a teletownhall to explain why families shouldn’t have to choose between caring for a family member or themselves and a paycheck -- and why businesses do better when their employees don't have to juggle work with caring for children and loved ones. A recording of the event is available on the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy Facebook page here.
“For far too long, families have been forced to choose between going to work and caring for a loved one,” said Heather Boushey, a Member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. “The COVID-19 crisis has not only exacerbated these issues, but made clear to all of us how important care is to the economy. That’s why President Biden has put together the Build Back Better Plan to establish a national, comprehensive paid family and medical leave plan: to ensure that nobody has to make the impossible choice between putting food on the table and managing care responsibilities.”
“We've seen how women have struggled through the pandemic,” said Kristina Hagen, State Director of the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy. “We're seeing all too often how women in their careers are being held back by virtue of not having access to paid leave. Even unpaid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act is out of reach for fifty five percent of working Virginia families. Under Build Back Better, about 495,000 Virginians would gain access to paid leave. These are folks who, today, have no choice but to take unpaid leave, whether it's for the birth of a child or a personal medical emergency or caring for a loved one. That's $1.2 billion dollars more back in Virginians’ paychecks.”
“From U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to House Education and Labor Committee Chair Bobby Scott (VA-03), Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08) of the House Ways and Means Committee, and frontline champions like Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s leaders in Congress have been and will continue to be essential to the passage of the historic paid family and medical leave policy in the Build Back Better budget legislation that’s being debated right now,” said Molly Day, Executive Director of Paid Leave for the U.S. (PL+US). “Not only did this teletownhall make it clear that Virginians need the kind of national, inclusive, and comprehensive paid leave plan under consideration in Congress, it underscored that the people who call Virginia home are proud to have their elected representatives in Washington leading the fight to deliver it.”
Speaker Quotes
A variety of speakers -- including business voices, parents and paid leave advocates -- reinforced the need for the care economy measures:
“Paid leave helps support our business and our employees,” said Sabrina Fox of Lansinoh, a maternal health company. “It helps employees feel valued and able to really care for the people that they love and themselves so that they can really do their best and be fully engaged in their work. It also increases retention, productivity, and morale. It supports diversity and inclusion efforts, and ultimately it supports our bottom line as a business.”
Research conducted by Lansinoh shows that 88% of mothers feel unprepared for the postpartum period, and more than 95% agree that new mothers aren’t sufficiently supported by our society. They indicated that stronger government policies for working parents, along with more support from employers, would have the greatest impact.
“When Gabrielle was born, she was so sick, I was unable to return to work for years,” said Virginia Beach resident Chrischa Ives, whose daughter Gabby was born with the rare Hardikar Syndrome. “For eight years I was denied employment when I told them about my daughter and her medical needs.” After Gabby died, Ives couldn't afford to take off work. “It is incredibly difficult to grieve the loss of your only child when under such extreme financial duress.”
“My family ended up on church assistance and I ended up defaulting on my student loans and it took a huge hit on my credit,” said Buena Vista resident Kera MacFarlane, who had to take unpaid leave after her children were born. “Across Virginia and our nation, people like me are struggling to make ends meet because they don't have paid leave or affordable child care options, which is ridiculous. It just hurts our economy by forcing people like me out of the workforce.”
“When my Mom was 90 she fell and broke her hip,” said town hall caller Brenda from Roanoke. “I took time off and did what I had to, but it was very difficult because I did not have time off without pay. Besides losing pay, I had to ask friends and other people to help with my mom. I felt horrible that I couldn't take off and pay my bills at the same time.”
When town hall caller Lisa from Alexandria said that her 89- and 90-year old parents were COVID-positive, Heather Boushey noted that, “This kind of policy gives people a little time for their aging loved ones, and can make all the difference.”
Congress is in final negotiations on an FY22 budget resolution package that includes care economy provisions to lower costs for Americans by providing paid family and medical leave and by making the essentials for working families affordable -- like child care and home and community based care for older adults and people with disabilities.
The Build Back Better plan wouldn’t raise taxes for working families a dime. Instead, it is fully paid for by making the ultra-wealthy and big corporations pay what they owe. It would cut taxes for 50 million families, including 4 million small businesses. And the extended Child Tax Credit in the plan gives a historic tax cut to 39 million households, benefiting more than 90% of families with children.
Recent analysis of the Build Back Better (BBB) proposals by Lenore Palladino of the University of Massachusetts found that:
President Biden’s proposed Build Back Better investments in care infrastructure would create nearly 360,000 new, good-paying jobs in Virginia over the next ten years.
495,000 Virginians per year who already, today, have no choice but to take unpaid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or at the expense of their job will no longer need to choose between a paycheck and their health or family, resulting in a cumulative $1.2 billion back in their paychecks when they experience a qualifying medical or family event.
The BBB investments in child care include providing direct support to families to ensure that low-and middle-income families spend no more than 7 percent of their income on high-quality child care.
As the demand for home- and community-based services (HCBS) increases, cracks in our long term care system have become front and center. President Biden’s proposal would see a $400 billion expansion of Virginia HCBS, creating and supporting 18,770 new jobs annually while adding an estimated $721.5 million additional income for current workers -- professional and family caregivers alike -- and their families each year.
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ABOUT VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN FOR A FAMILY FRIENDLY ECONOMY:
Virginia families have earned family friendly policies. Families across the Commonwealth are working harder than ever, but many are still struggling to make ends meet. The Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy is working to build a better future for working people by fighting for smart policies like paid family and medical leave, paid sick days and quality, affordable childcare. Every month the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy releases a storybook highlighting the consequences working Virginians and families face because they do not have access to paid family and medical leave or other core care infrastructure. See the August storybook with Care In Action and SEIU Virginia 512 here. Learn more at: http://www.familyfriendlyeconomyva.org
ABOUT PAID LEAVE FOR THE UNITED STATES (PL+US):
PL+US (Paid Leave for the United States) is the national campaign to win paid family and medical leave for every working person in the US. PL+US has helped win paid family leave for nearly 8 million people through our transformative workplace campaigns at companies like Walmart, Starbucks, CVS and more in partnership with employees, employers, consumers, and investors. Learn more at: http://paidleave.us/