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Statement

The Speech America’s Moms Needed to Hear

March 1, 2022
Paid Family & Medical Leave, Equal Pay, Early Care & Education, Health Care

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO of MomsRising, on President Biden’s State of the Union address tonight:

“Tonight President Biden reinforced his administration’s commitment to a vision and an agenda that will support moms, parents, families, businesses, our economy, and our country. That includes: a national paid family leave program; lower family costs for child care, pre-K, and prescription medications; fair wages; a $15 per hour federal minimum wage; a pathway to citizenship for immigrants; an extension of the expanded Child Tax Credit; a fair tax system that supports working families; and enactment of the Equality Act and protections for trans youth. We need all of these policies, and moms will remind lawmakers in Congress every single day that we are counting on them to pass these measures.

“Families are struggling to recover from the economic and health crises the pandemic created – and Black, Indigenous and families of color experienced the most devastating harms. So we are thrilled that President Biden pledged his unwavering support for the kind of care infrastructure that will support economic security and stability for families, advance equity, strengthen businesses, and help our economy thrive.

“Moms also commend President Biden’s commitment to fighting for democracy, which he articulated so powerfully tonight. Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine. We are inspired by the courageous mothers in Ukraine who are fighting both to protect their families and to preserve their democracy. Moms and parents will do all we can to support them, and to protect and preserve our democracy here at home.

“This was the speech America’s moms needed to hear.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.