FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 6, 2024
CONTACT: Christina Coleman, [email protected]
Care Can’t Wait Action Leaders React to Donald Trump Claiming Child Care “Is Not That Expensive” In New Interview
WASHINGTON – Today, Care Can’t Wait Action leaders Ai-jen Poo, National Women Law Center Action Fund’s Fatima Goss Graves, SEIU International President April Verrett, and Dawn Huckelbridge, founder of Paid Leave PAC, issued the following statements reacting to Donald Trump’s latest out-of-touch rant on child care, in which he claimed child care “is not that expensive, relatively speaking.”
As a reminder, in almost every state, child care costs exceed average annual rent or mortgage payments. Recent surveys show voters across the political spectrum overwhelmingly support raising taxes on the wealthy and big corporations to increase investments in child care, aging and disability care, and paid leave.
“Donald Trump is once again showing just how out of touch he is with workers and families: while he and his allies are planning huge tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations, he’s under the impression that child care is easy to afford. As any working parent will tell you, he’s wrong,” said Ai-jen Poo, founder and senior advisor to Care in Action. “Vice President Harris understands that having safe, nurturing child care for your kids, being able to take care of yourself or a sick loved one without losing pay, and staying in your home as you age should be options for everybody, not luxuries for the few–and I hope the moderators at next week’s debate will give caregivers an opportunity to hear from both candidates on an issue that–despite what Donald Trump thinks–is absolutely critical to their financial stability.”
“Child care costs more than the costs of college in 28 states in this country — if you can find it. Aging and disability care costs even more. And families lose more than $22 billion in wages alone each year without federal paid leave,” said Dawn Huckelbridge, founder of Paid Leave PAC. “Donald Trump has absolutely no idea what our lives are like. These are some of the biggest sources of financial and emotional stress for working families and Vice President Harris and Governor Walz see that struggle and are fighting to change it. Where Donald Trump brags about fighting for the wealthiest and corporations, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are fighting for an America where we all have the freedom to decide if and when to have a family, and the freedom and ability to support one — to work hard, get ahead, build a home and community.”
“Donald Trump’s rambling, incoherent response on child care is further proof that he never gives serious thought to the child care crisis facing millions of families. His only focus is on the policies that benefit himself and his billionaire donors,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund. “The same is true of his running mate, whose response this week to a child care question made clear that he also has no idea what families deal with when it comes to care. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, who understand the struggles that middle class families are facing, have a plan to strengthen the care economy so that all of us can thrive.”
“Donald Trump’s ridiculous remarks on the cost of child care reveal his complete detachment from the realities faced by working families,” said SEIU International President April Verrett. “The skyrocketing expenses of child care, senior care, and support for individuals with disabilities are stretching many families to their breaking points, exposing the severity of the care crisis in this country. Trump’s focus on tax breaks for the wealthy only highlights his lack of a genuine plan to tackle this pressing issue. In sharp contrast, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are committed to making all forms of care affordable and accessible. They understand that turning care jobs into good union jobs is crucial for empowering the care workforce and supporting families. Harris and Walz are fighting for a future where quality care is a right for everyone, not a privilege for the few.”
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About Care Can’t Wait Action:
Care Can’t Wait Action launched in 2023 to mobilize tens of millions of Americans centering care as a winning issue for policymakers, representing one of the largest coalitions of labor unions, advocacy organizations, and grassroots groups focused on care in history. With Americans supporting new investments in care by a wide margin, the coalition has pledged a $50 million investment to mobilize tens of millions of Americans this year.
The Care Can’t Wait Action Coalition includes: ❖ AFL-CIO ❖ AFSCME ❖ American Federation of Teachers ❖ Be A Hero ❖ Care in Action ❖ Child Care for Every Family Action ❖ Community Change Action ❖ Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy ❖ Family Values @ Work Action ❖ MomsRising Together ❖ National Partnership for Women & Families Action Fund ❖ National Women’s Law Center Action Fund ❖ Oxfam America Action Fund ❖ Priorities USA Action ❖ Paid Leave for All Action ❖ Service Employees International Union ❖ Supermajority ❖ United Domestic Workers