We’ve got one we can mark down in the WIN column! On Tuesday, President Biden signed a major spending bill into law that creates increases in dedicated funding for food and nutrition, housing, early learning, and other essential federal programs. [1] For the first time in many years, the federal budget prioritizes our families, which, in turn, not only lowers costs for families but also boosts the economy and helps stop inflation.

Now it’s time to double-down! We need to build on this momentum and pressure Congress and the White House to pass an economic package that builds the care infrastructure that we, our nation’s businesses, and our economy need in order to succeed.

The care infrastructure includes a childcare and Pre-K system so parents can go to work, kids can thrive, and care workers can earn living wages. It also includes an extension of the monthly Child Tax Credit checks that just lifted over 40% of kids out of poverty in 2021, the largest single year drop in child poverty in our nation’s history. It includes home- and community-based care for our loved ones with disabilities and who are aging, as well as health equity measures including the Momnibus. And it includes paid family and medical leave when a new baby arrives or serious illness strikes so we can keep our jobs as our families change.

The recently passed budget is an important recognition of the crisis we face as a nation, but we need Congress to return to the unfinished business of building a care infrastructure – and an economy that works for all of us. The need for substantial policies like a childcare system and equitable maternal health access, an extension of the monthly Child Tax Credit checks, lowering prescription drug prices, home- and community-based services for the aging and people with disabilities, and a national paid family and medical leave policy are critical—as they have been for the past two years as our families struggle through this pandemic and economic uncertainty.

We have a crisis that we can solve. Inflation is costing the average U.S. family an additional $296 per month. [2] There are proposals before Congress right now that could help our families shoulder those costs (and address inflation)—some of which, like the expanded monthly Child Tax Credit checks, could be up and running next month if Congress were to take action. Passing a childcare and Pre-K policy, as well as paid family and medical leave, both help our nation have consistent workforce participation that then helps address supply chain issues, which, in turn, helps lower inflation.

We don’t need lip service on lowering costs for families. [3] We need action!!

The good news is the next win for our families has already been proposed: the U.S. House already passed the Build Back Better Act. But then in December, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin and the entirety of all Republican Senators refused to pass it. We need to reinvigorate the Senate to pass life saving measures for families like extending the Child Tax Credit monthly payments, solving the childcare crisis, guaranteeing paid family and medical leave when your family needs it, making home-and community-based services for the elderly and those with disabilities more affordable, ensuring maternal health equity, lowering the cost of insulin and other prescription drugs, and more.

The path to victory—and to passing policies that lower costs for our families and lift up the economy—are right there. Now Congress and the White House need to take action and include these measures in the next reconciliation package they are moving forward.

***Sign our letter now and then forward the link to your friends and family so they can take action as well. It’s going to take all our efforts to make sure that our families are not left behind as the next policy win moves towards victory!

- Elyssa, Donna, Hanna, Jordan, Nina, Ruth Kristin, and the whole MomsRising.org/MamásConPoder Team

P.S. We want to hear from YOU about how the rising cost of groceries, gas, childcare, and other services are impacting your family. Share your story with us now. https://action.momsrising.org/survey/Inflation

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