The House passed two bills intended to ease the financial burden of child care amid Wednesday’s coronavirus pandemic.
The first, titled Child Care Is Essential Act, would award grant funds to child care providers in an effort to help facilities reopen safely amid the coronavirus pandemic and stabilize operations in the sector on Wednesday.
The second, called the Child Care Act for Economic Recovery, includes a series of tax provisions that aim to make child care more affordable for families and provide assistance to child care providers.
Both bills were passed largely by party votes.
No Democrat voted against the measures. Eighteen Republicans voted for the first bill, and 20 Republicans voted for the second.
The first bill, which passed 249-163, creates a Child Care Stabilization Fund and allocates $ 50 billion to be used during and after the pandemic.
The fund would be established within the Department of Health and Human Services (CCDBG) Global Child Care and Development Grant program, and the grants would be administered by “leading agencies of existing CCDBG states, tribes, or territories.”
Those eligible for the grants would receive funds based on the operating costs of the child care providers prior to the public health emergency, which would then be adjusted to account for the additional costs they face due to the pandemic.
The bill also includes language to “provide relief from copays and tuition payments for families” who are struggling to make payments due to financial difficulties caused by the spread of COVID-19.
Advocates of the legislation said it is a critical step in helping struggling families and essential workers who cannot afford private child care, arguing that it underscores the impact of the class divide in the United States.
“We have essential workers, whom I pointed out, supermarket workers, transit workers, restrooms, retailers who come and go every day and who have to be at work and have been told if they don’t show up, they don’t get paid. But they have children, they have families, “DeLauro said in the room before the vote.
“What is a parent’s primary responsibility? The pride he takes in making sure his children are safe, that they are safe, that he is doing everything possible for them to survive. So what is his choice? Your child alone?
Critics argued that it was too expensive and would create a cumbersome process for those seeking to apply for grants.
“As the country navigates the current reality of the coronavirus pandemic, childcare is one of the most important problems we have to solve. Congress must implement child care solutions to help working families address their needs, but this bill before us is not the answer, “said the Representative. Kay Granger
Norvell (Kay) Kay GrangerLouisiana Republican self-quarantine after exposure to Gohmert House passes two childcare bills aimed at the Pelosi pandemic to require masks on the house floor MORE (R-Texas), the leading Republican on the House Appropriations Committee.
“This bill would allocate $ 50 billion to the child care industry, more than all of its annual revenue. Excessively burdensome and complicated application requirements would accompany those funds. This means that providers would spend their time on requests and reporting requirements instead of caring for children and keeping them safe. “
Senator Patty murray
Patricia (Patty) Lynn MurrayPelosi snuggles up to presidents on a surprise billing, but the elusive House deal passes two childcare bills aimed at the Republican Party pandemic, Democratic aid packages B in addition to vaccine financing. MORE (D-Wash.) Leads efforts on a supplemental bill in the Senate, where he faces an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled chamber.
The second measure, passed in a vote of 250-161, would expand the child and dependent care tax credit, expand flexible savings accounts for dependent care, and create a new payroll tax credit for employee dependent care benefits paid by employers.
It would also create a new payroll tax credit for mortgage, rent and utilities expenses incurred by child care facilities that have been affected by the pandemic. And it would expand the employee retention tax credit created by legislation enacted in March to allow employers to get the credit for the wages they pay to domestic workers who have been unable to work due to government orders.
In addition to expanding and creating child care-related tax exemptions, the bill would also increase funding for the Child Care Rights program to the States, provide $ 850 million to states, the District of Columbia and the territories to fill the gaps in child care for essential workers. and invest $ 10 billion from 2020 to 2024 to improve the infrastructure of child care facilities.
Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Nita Lowey
Nita Sue LoweyHouse Passes Two Child Care Bills Targeted for Pandemic House Passes 9.5B Spending Package House Panel Completes Speed of Light Allocations by 2021 (DN.Y.) argued that the bill would be useful for both children and the economy. She said some child care facilities are at risk of closing permanently.
“Every industry has child care. To save our economy, we need to save childcare, “he said.
President of the Means and Excise Committee Richard Neal
Richard Edmund NealPelosi snuggles up to presidents on a surprise billing, but the elusive House deal passes two childcare bills aimed at the pandemic. Top Democrat: Stimulus Payments on Change Dependents of the Republican Plan MORE (D-Mass.) He said the bill provides “unprecedented federal support for childcare because we are all in this together.”
Republicans said they agreed with Democrats that access to child care is important, but criticized the bill as partisan.
“This is nothing more than a copy and paste of several Democratic childcare proposals, edited superficially to link the pandemic,” the representative said. Tom reed
Thomas (Tom) W. ReedHouse passes two child care bills targeted at the co-chairs of the Pandemic Diabetes Caucus, saying the telehealth expansion will continue beyond the pandemic. (RN.Y.).
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