Dear John,
Did you know that there are more millionaires in Congress than there are moms? No wonder Congress prioritizes tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy instead of policies that deliver for our families.
We need our elected officials to look like us and share our experiences, because that’s how we get them to focus on our biggest challenges. That won’t happen unless we make it easier for moms and middle-class Americans to run—and win.
But here’s some good news: We’ve already made progress in getting more moms elected. In 2018, my friend and fellow Congressional candidate Liuba Grechen Shirley convinced our federal election authority to allow—for the first time ever—using campaign funds for childcare. And her leadership also helped me afford childcare during my first House race that same year.
John, it’s pretty simple. Parents, especially moms, can’t successfully campaign if we can’t afford childcare. For me, running for office as a single mom was hard enough. Without campaign funds for childcare, it would’ve been impossible. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation, the Help America Run Act, which would codify allowing federal candidates to use campaign funds for childcare, so that moms who want to run for office can count on this resource being there.
My friend Liuba launched an organization, Vote Mama, which is working to expand campaign funds for childcare to state and local candidates, so we have more moms representing us at every level of government. Thanks for their efforts, two-thirds of states now allow campaign funds for childcare—but we need to get to 50.
Like Truth to Power, Vote Mama’s mission is to shake up how government works, so that it does better delivering for us. Will you split a donation today between Truth to Power and Vote Mama to help us elect more people who will fight for what families need, not what big corporations want?
Thank you for your support,
Katie Porter