John,

Mother’s Day is a time to honor all the strong women in our lives — our mothers and grandmothers, our sisters and aunts, and trusted friends or mentors who have played a formative role in our lives and cared for us when we needed it most. And one of the best ways we can do that is to care for them in return — to me, that has to include supporting their health and their economic well-being.

Raising kids and caring for a family is a really hard job — one that the pandemic has brought to the forefront as we saw nearly 3 million women leave the workforce, in particular, mothers of young children who faced the impossible decisions of whether to leave their job or stay home and care for their kids or maybe their own parents. This isn’t just a step backward for women — it stands to harm our economy long-term and crush economic security for working families. And we know it disproportionately hurts women of color.

We must use this opportunity to reevaluate the way that our workplaces don’t account for caregiving needs, and to make real investments in childcare for all families. I’m so encouraged by President Biden’s American Families Plan, which will help rebuild economic security for struggling families. I am also proud that in Montgomery County, where I serve as the Chair of the Board of Commissioners, we have implemented gender-neutral paid parental leave and a $15 minimum wage for our county workers. We need paid sick and family leave nationwide so no one has to fear losing their job to care for a loved one. We need to make childcare more affordable for more families. And we must achieve pay equity for women.

At the same time, we have major work to do when it comes to health outcomes for mothers. I worked on the labor and delivery floor for several years, and I’ve seen firsthand that not all moms are treated equally — and that leads to poor health outcomes, including higher rates of maternal mortality and infant mortality among Black and Brown moms and babies. And if anything, the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated these inequities. Something has to change, and I’m committed to investing in efforts around improving maternal health for moms too often left behind.

These are the things I will fight for as your United States Senator from Pennsylvania — and it is just the beginning of our work to honor all the women we love and care about.

Happy Mother’s Day to those celebrating. And for those for whom this day is a little harder this year because you’re missing loved ones lost to this virus or otherwise, may you wrap yourself in the memories you shared with them. We are thinking of them too today.

Warmly,

Val

Paid for by Val Arkoosh for U.S. Senate
Val Arkoosh for U.S. Senate
P.O. Box 627
Norristown, PA 19404
United States
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