Wyden Statement at Finance Committee Hearing on Need for Congress to Address U.S. Child Care Crisis

CHAIR WYDEN: THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL COME TO ORDER. TODAY THE CREDIT -- THE CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE IS OUT WITH ITS ECONOMIC OUTLOOK. IT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY GOOD TIME TO TAKE STOCK OF OUR PRIORITIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE WELL-BEING OF WORKING FAMILIES. FIREFIGHTERS, NURSES, AND SCORES OF OTHER HARD-WORKING AMERICANS ALL HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON. THEY PAY TAXES WITH EVERY PAYCHECK. BUT MILLIONS OF THESE FAMILIES CANNOT AFFORD A BASIC NECESSITY LIKE CHILDCARE. CONTRAST THAT WITH BILLIONAIRES IN AMERICA. THREE WORDS, JUST THREE SMALL WORDS CAN DESCRIBE HOW BILLIONAIRES CAN GO FOR YEARS PAYING LITTLE OR NO TAXES. THOSE WORDS ARE BUY, BORROW AND DIE. MY VIEW IS THAT SOMETHING IS OUT OF WHACK WITH THIS PICTURE. AMERICA IS AT ITS BEST WHEN EVERYBODY, LET ME UNDERLINE EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO GET A HEAD. NOT JUST THOSE WHO ARE AT THE VERY TOP. THIS COMMITTEE CAN VOTE TO CLOSE UNFAIR TAX LOOPHOLES, TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE. AND GENERATE FUNDS NEEDED FOR PRIORITIES LIKE CHILDCARE THAT WILL LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR WORKING FAMILIES. TODAY, OUR COMMITTEE WILL CONSIDER SMART, TARGETED WAYS TO HELP WORKING FAMILIES FOR WHOM GOOD QUALITY AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE IS SIMPLY OUT OF REACH. AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, AND WE HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THE CHILDCARE ENTITLEMENT TO THE STATES. WE ARE HOLDING THIS HEARING SO THAT WE CAN MAKE IT AS CLEAR AS OREGON'S BEAUTIFUL CRATER LAKE THAT WE MEAN BUSINESS, WE MEAN BUSINESS WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING SURE THAT WORKING FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO GOOD QUALITY AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE. DEMOCRAT -- DEMOCRATS FUNNILY -- FUNDAMENTALLY UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE WHICH IS WHY WE PASSED THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT. BILL BECAUSE IT KEPT THE CHILDCARE INDUSTRY AFLOAT DURING THOSE VERY CHALLENGING TIMES AND SECURED $24 BILLION IN FUNDS FOR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. UNFORTUNATELY, REPUBLICANS BLOCKED THE EXTENSION OF THE FUNDING. AND AS A RESULT PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO PAY STAFF AND STRUGGLING TO KEEP DOORS OPEN. NOW, IN THAT LAW FINANCE COMMITTEE DEMOCRATS GOT AN INCREASE OF $6 MILLION TO THE CHILDCARE ENTITLEMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES. IT DOES NOT COVER EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, BUT IT IS A REAL START, AND IT MESHES WELL WITH A BILL THAT SENATOR WARREN AND I HAVE CALLED THE BUILDING CHILDCARE FOR A BETTER FUTURE ACT AND WE CAN GO FURTHER. THIS WOULD INCREASE CHILDCARE ENTITLEMENT FUNDS BY MORE THAN 6 BILLION DOLLARS LEADING TO FINALLY A REAL SUBSTANTIAL YEARLY INVESTMENT OF $10 MILLION. THIS WOULD MAKE CHILDCARE IN AMERICA MORE AFFORDABLE AND AVAILABLE. LET ME DESCRIBE THE WAYS IT WILL HELP OUR FAMILIES. THERE WILL BE MORE VOUCHERS FOR FAMILIES WHO CURRENTLY QUALIFY. BUT RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE LESS STEALTHY BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN UNDERFUNDED. THE BILL WILL HELP CONSTRUCT NEW CHILDCARE FACILITIES, INCREASING SLOTS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE BILL WOULD SECURE FOR THE FIRST TIME A PERMANENT PROGRAM TO BOOST THE WAGES FOR CHILDCARE WORKERS. THE CHILDCARE WORKFORCE HAS SEEN UNPRECEDENTED TURNOVER AND IT IS CLEAR THAT AMERICA NEEDS A WAY TO RECRUIT NEW PROVIDERS. AND, HELP THEM STAY IN THE ROLES. THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS TO MAKE SURE THOSE WORKERS GET PAID A FAIR WAGE FOR THEIR HARD WORK. I AM PLEASED THAT WE WILL HAVE FOR THE FIRST TIME A PERMANENT PROGRAM TO START GETTING THESE WORKERS A FAIR SHAKE. WE WILL HEAR FROM A TERRIFIC GROUP OF WITNESSES AND WE ARE GLAD THAT THEY ARE HERE. THEY WILL DESCRIBE HOW CONGRESS CAN ACT TO GUARANTEE ROBUST, SUSTAINED, AND PREDICTABLE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR CHILDCARE NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE THREE BIG QUESTIONS, AFFORDABILITY, AVAILABILITY AND WHERE WE WILL GET THAT ESSENTIAL WORKFORCE. THE TAX CODE IS A BIG TOOL IN AMERICA'S TOOLBOX THAT CAN HELP GIVE WORKING FAMILIES A FAIR SHAKE. WE EXTENDED A TAX CREDIT TO CUT CHILD POVERTY IN HALF, A GAME CHANGER FOR MILLIONS OF FAMILIES. NOW WE WANT TO EXPAND THAT AND WE WANT TO HELP BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR, 16 MILLION FAMILIES, 16 MILLION FAMILIES. 4 MILLION SMALL BUSINESSES HELP GROW OUR COUNTRY AND MAKE A STRONGER ECONOMIC SET OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PEOPLE FROM ONE END OF THE COUNTRY TO THE OTHER. CHAIRMAN SMITH OF THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE HELP 16 LOW INCOME KIDS GET A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE BECAUSE WE NO LONGER PENALIZE BIG FAMILIES, JUST SAY THAT TO YOURSELF. AS A COUNTRY IS RICH AND STRONG AS OURS, WE ARE GOING TO PENALIZE BIG FAMILIES. THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON BUT ON A BIPARTISAN BASEMENT IS -- BASIS. CHAIRMAN SMITH AND I WANT TO CHANGE THAT. I SEE SENATOR CANTWELL AND WE SAW THE SUPREME COURT HOUSING DECISION A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. WE ARE GOING TO NEED MORE HOUSING FOR FOLKS. SENATOR CANTWELL HAS A GREAT PLAN TO DO IT AND DO IT NOW AND NOT WAIT AROUND FOR YEARS. SO, I AM PLEASED THAT SHE IS WITH US TODAY. I AM SURE THAT SHE IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT LEGISLATION. WE PASSED THAT BILL WITH 357 VOTES A FEW MONTHS AGO. YOU CANNOT GET 357 VOTES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO ORDER A PIZZA PIE. THAT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT FOR OUR FAMILIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES, FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO HELP US MEET HOUSING NEEDS LIKE SENATOR CANTWELL. YESTERDAY WE SAW THAT THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT TAXES AND I THINK WE WILL SEE IN THE DAYS AHEAD THAT REPUBLICANS WANT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THE 2017 BILL AND GIVE MORE BREAKS TO BILLIONAIRES AND MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS AND RUN UP THE DEFICIT AT THE SAME TIME SO CONGRESS COULD NOT DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE CAT -- THE CHILDCARE NEEDS AND THE LOW INCOME HOUSING THAT SENATOR CANTWELL IS WORKING SO HARD FOR. IT WILL BE A GOOD CHANCE TO GET OUR PRIORITIES ON THE TABLE TODAY. AND I AM PARTICULARLY GLAD THAT WE HAVE THESE FOUR VERY COMMITTED AND TALENTED WITNESSES. THEY WILL TELL US HOW TO MAKE SMARTER USE OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO MEET THIS EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT