The Biden administration is ending the era of trickle-down policies that have made the rich even richer for decades – and ushering in policies that build our economy from the middle out and bottom up. From the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the Inflation Reduction Act, there’s been a long list of major accomplishments.

But despite this progress, there are a number of priorities that have fallen by the wayside. During Senate negotiations prior to the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats were forced to cut universal childcare, federal paid family leave, and federal medical leave – all of which are important policies that would strengthen the economy.

That’s why Civic Action is calling on the Senate to add these policies back to the top of their priority list – and we’d like you to join us: Will you send a message to your senators in support of affordable childcare, paid family leave, and medical leave?

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Childcare is critical to a functioning workforce. When the pandemic hit and lockdowns shuttered schools and childcare centers in 2020, more than 2 million women – almost half of whom were women of color – dropped out of the workforce to stay home. That doesn’t just result in lost wages for them – it’s also a massive drag on our entire economy, because it means millions of people are forced out of economic participation. While the pandemic has provided a glaring example of how inadequate our childcare infrastructure is, it’s nothing new – for decades, millions of women have paid the economic cost of our nation's lack of basic support for families with children.

A recent World Economic Forum report showed that 80% of the gender pay gap is made up of the "motherhood penalty," in which women's paychecks start to shrink compared to their male peers' after they have children.

Policies enacting or subsidizing quality, affordable childcare would help close the gender pay gap. The reliability of affordable childcare would level the playing field between working mothers and men — who aren't stereotypically expected to sacrifice their jobs for parenthood in the same way that women are — and allow millions of people to reenter the workforce, boosting economic growth.

In addition, a federal paid family leave program would make it easier for parents to stay home with sick children as needed. But the long-term effects of the policy could also change millions of lives: Studies have shown that paid family leave could lower the number of infant deaths per year, reduce the risk of poverty for mothers, and increase the average household income. It would also allow more women to fully participate in the economy, creating jobs with their consumer spending.

While Democrats have the Senate majority, they must invest in the future by building an economy that truly works for everyone – and that starts with affordable childcare, paid family leave, and paid medical leave. Will you send a message to your senators to tell them to put these policies at the top of their priority list?

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