Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) spoke on the Senate floor to address the challenges many American families face in securing affordable child care. She emphasized the financial strain on parents and the broader economic impact of limited child care access, calling for bipartisan solutions to ease these burdens.
“The cost is crushing for so many parents. It’s also prohibitive,” Britt stated. “How many married couples think about having another child, want to, and start looking at the dollars and cents and feel like they can’t financially afford it?” She urged her colleagues to consider the role policymakers play in supporting working families.
Britt cited economic data illustrating the consequences of child care shortages, noting that the American economy loses approximately $122 billion annually due to related workforce disruptions. She highlighted findings showing that a significant percentage of parents—74% of mothers and 66% of fathers—have experienced work interruptions due to child care challenges, while nearly 60% of non-working parents would return to the workforce if they had access to affordable, reliable child care.
In response to these issues, Britt and a bipartisan group of legislators introduced the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act. The legislation aims to make child care more accessible by strengthening existing tax credits to lower costs for families and businesses. Co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Angus King (I-Maine), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine), alongside U.S. Representatives Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.).
Britt described the bill as a practical solution that modernizes tax credits without creating new entitlements. “We are letting Americans keep more of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars in a manner that grows our economy and gives people an opportunity for their American Dream,” she stated. She added that the legislation supports both families and small businesses, helping parents return to work while aiding employers in attracting and retaining employees.
Throughout her first term, Britt has supported several measures related to child care and family policy, including the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act, the Childcare Worker Opportunity Act, and the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Reauthorization Act of 2024.
She concluded her remarks by calling on her Republican colleagues to take action. “If we truly are the party of parents, families, and hardworking Americans, we have an opportunity to prove it,” she said, advocating for child care reforms in upcoming tax legislation.
The proposed legislation now awaits further consideration in the Senate.
