WEBVTT 00:00.340 --> 00:03.250 welcome everyone . I'm I jin pooh , 00:03.250 --> 00:05.194 Executive director of the National 00:05.194 --> 00:07.361 Domestic Workers Alliance and carrying 00:07.361 --> 00:10.570 across generations . It is my honor to 00:10.570 --> 00:12.570 be a part of today's important town 00:12.570 --> 00:14.630 hall meeting about an issue that 00:14.630 --> 00:17.310 touches all of our lives . Caregiving 00:17.840 --> 00:20.320 whether it's child care or paid family 00:20.320 --> 00:22.542 and medical leave or home and community 00:22.542 --> 00:25.390 based care for our elders or supports 00:25.390 --> 00:27.810 for people with disabilities . Millions 00:27.810 --> 00:29.921 of us have struggled with these needs 00:29.921 --> 00:32.180 that are fundamental to our families , 00:32.350 --> 00:34.650 to our ability to work and to the 00:34.650 --> 00:37.250 health of our economy . The biden 00:37.250 --> 00:39.190 Harris administrations build back 00:39.190 --> 00:42.100 better agenda , understands the urgency 00:42.100 --> 00:44.250 of these needs and that's what we're 00:44.250 --> 00:46.139 going to talk about today . We're 00:46.139 --> 00:48.190 bringing together family caregivers 00:48.190 --> 00:50.640 care workers moms in the sandwich 00:50.640 --> 00:53.110 generation and leaders in Government to 00:53.110 --> 00:55.890 talk about the need for investing in 00:55.890 --> 00:58.760 our families so that we can all thrive . 00:59.140 --> 01:01.720 We've got a fantastic audience today 01:01.720 --> 01:03.890 from around the country and we'll be 01:03.890 --> 01:06.420 hearing personal care stories from four 01:06.420 --> 01:08.640 people from different States and 01:08.640 --> 01:10.820 different backgrounds but all living a 01:10.820 --> 01:13.740 common reality as caregivers . They 01:13.740 --> 01:15.970 will be asking crucial questions that 01:15.970 --> 01:18.780 so many of us want answered about what 01:18.780 --> 01:21.720 the government can do to help us care 01:21.720 --> 01:25.360 for the people we love . And now it is 01:25.360 --> 01:27.570 my great pleasure and honor to 01:27.570 --> 01:30.790 introduce to powerful leaders joining 01:30.790 --> 01:33.270 us from the White House to address 01:33.270 --> 01:36.240 those questions . Vice President of the 01:36.240 --> 01:38.830 United States , Kamala Harris and 01:38.830 --> 01:40.774 United States Senator from my home 01:40.774 --> 01:43.060 state of Illinois tammy Duckworth's 01:43.070 --> 01:45.550 Thank you both so much for joining us 01:45.550 --> 01:48.550 today and now I turn it over to you 01:48.560 --> 01:52.270 madam . Vice President . Thank you . I 01:52.270 --> 01:55.490 jen it's so good to see you and always 01:55.490 --> 01:57.712 to work with you over these years . And 01:57.712 --> 01:59.879 especially now when there's so much at 01:59.879 --> 02:02.640 stake in terms of our real ability to 02:02.650 --> 02:06.060 actually leapfrog over where we've been 02:06.060 --> 02:08.282 and to really just take on these issues 02:08.282 --> 02:10.338 that we have known even before . The 02:10.338 --> 02:12.610 pandemic represent the failures and the 02:12.620 --> 02:14.842 fishers and the factors in our system . 02:14.850 --> 02:17.040 And I'm very excited about the 02:17.040 --> 02:19.450 potential that we have the possibility 02:19.840 --> 02:22.062 with the collective hard work of all of 02:22.062 --> 02:24.290 the leaders here to really see this 02:24.290 --> 02:26.800 through and get it done . And I can't 02:26.800 --> 02:29.420 stress enough that this , this issue of 02:29.420 --> 02:32.880 care and caregiving and the care 02:32.880 --> 02:36.240 economy and care work . It 02:36.250 --> 02:39.030 impacts everyone regardless of the 02:39.030 --> 02:41.050 composition of your household , 02:41.840 --> 02:44.490 regardless of your age , regardless of 02:44.490 --> 02:47.150 your gender , regardless of your 02:47.150 --> 02:50.510 profession , it impacts everyone . And 02:50.510 --> 02:52.830 so let's be clear everyone , whoever 02:52.830 --> 02:55.340 you are , She care about this issue and 02:55.340 --> 02:57.630 should understand how it impacts our 02:57.630 --> 03:00.700 entire society in our country , not to 03:00.700 --> 03:02.950 mention our world . So , thank you . 03:02.950 --> 03:05.910 Senator Tammy Duckworth's thank you for 03:05.910 --> 03:08.360 your longstanding leadership and for 03:08.360 --> 03:10.471 being a champion in the United States 03:10.471 --> 03:13.460 Congress for caregivers and the work 03:13.460 --> 03:15.571 that you continue to do to be a great 03:15.571 --> 03:17.910 fighter . Um Well , it is wonderful to 03:17.910 --> 03:20.021 see everyone I see on the screen over 03:20.021 --> 03:23.540 there , um , and gathered here , or are 03:23.540 --> 03:26.360 the incredible leaders who care for 03:26.360 --> 03:28.990 your parents , for your siblings , for 03:28.990 --> 03:31.920 your Children , people who provide care 03:31.920 --> 03:34.770 for other people's families and 03:34.770 --> 03:38.070 caregivers do it all from helping with 03:38.070 --> 03:41.110 finances and medication , to preparing 03:41.110 --> 03:44.400 meals and providing transportation . Um 03:44.410 --> 03:47.400 Caregiving is hard work , It's hard 03:47.400 --> 03:50.050 work . It is work that requires 03:50.060 --> 03:51.920 emotional strength and can be 03:51.920 --> 03:54.660 emotionally taxing . It requires 03:54.660 --> 03:56.771 physical strength and it's physically 03:56.771 --> 03:59.870 demanding and it and it requires a 03:59.870 --> 04:03.590 certain spirit of giving . Um and you 04:03.590 --> 04:06.100 all give so much , not to mention how 04:06.100 --> 04:08.211 much time it requires because there's 04:08.211 --> 04:10.580 so much about caregiving work that is 04:10.580 --> 04:13.350 not on the clock . Um You don't punch 04:13.350 --> 04:15.240 in and punch out . It really is a 04:15.240 --> 04:18.260 function of the needs of the people you 04:18.260 --> 04:20.440 are caring for and you know , folks 04:20.440 --> 04:22.496 have to understand that when we talk 04:22.496 --> 04:25.010 about them , the issue of how we pay 04:25.010 --> 04:27.160 people their value and understand the 04:27.160 --> 04:29.160 nature of the work and the value of 04:29.160 --> 04:31.382 their work and you know , as the bottom 04:31.382 --> 04:33.604 line , I'll just say this in our nation 04:33.604 --> 04:36.710 today , it is essential work and our 04:36.710 --> 04:40.360 nation runs on care and 04:40.360 --> 04:44.280 therefore our nation must invest in 04:44.280 --> 04:47.280 care for working people and working 04:47.280 --> 04:49.600 women in particular care is a 04:49.600 --> 04:52.270 prerequisite to be able to get to work . 04:52.450 --> 04:55.240 It's a prerequisite . Yeah , it's not a 04:55.240 --> 04:58.080 given sadly , but it is absolutely 04:58.080 --> 05:01.960 necessary yet we know that care is too 05:01.960 --> 05:05.790 often too expensive and too difficult 05:05.800 --> 05:08.420 to find , which is why we talk about 05:08.420 --> 05:12.190 affordability and accessibility , Take 05:12.190 --> 05:14.301 child care for instance , the average 05:14.301 --> 05:17.450 family in America has to spend 13% of 05:17.450 --> 05:20.670 their income on childcare , 13% . And 05:20.670 --> 05:23.150 that is assuming they can even find 05:23.160 --> 05:25.382 high quality child care in their area . 05:26.240 --> 05:29.380 Child care can cost more than health 05:29.380 --> 05:33.160 care . It can cost more than housing . 05:34.040 --> 05:36.620 And in many states it costs more than 05:36.630 --> 05:40.250 in state college tuition . So 05:41.040 --> 05:43.096 these are some of the issues , these 05:43.096 --> 05:45.207 are some of the problems . What's the 05:45.207 --> 05:47.373 solution ? Well , part of the solution 05:47.380 --> 05:49.780 is our bill back agenda , which will 05:49.780 --> 05:51.980 cut the cost of childcare by more than 05:51.980 --> 05:55.460 half for most families in our country . 05:55.840 --> 05:58.240 And it will also extend the child tax 05:58.240 --> 06:01.260 credit , which as we know , will lift 06:01.260 --> 06:03.371 almost half of America's Children out 06:03.371 --> 06:06.470 of poverty . And it will expand paid 06:06.470 --> 06:10.200 leave and it will improve options for 06:10.200 --> 06:13.890 seniors and people with disabilities so 06:13.890 --> 06:15.890 that they don't need to leave their 06:15.890 --> 06:17.970 home or leave their community to get 06:17.970 --> 06:20.970 the care they need . And on that point , 06:20.970 --> 06:22.900 this is this is essentially about 06:22.910 --> 06:25.140 allowing people the dignity with which 06:25.140 --> 06:27.850 they deserve and want to live . 06:28.740 --> 06:31.110 So the President and I are determined 06:31.110 --> 06:33.277 to get our agenda passed and I'll tell 06:33.277 --> 06:35.690 you the President and I share personal 06:35.690 --> 06:39.480 experiences of having done a lot of 06:39.490 --> 06:41.830 what is necessary to care for family 06:41.830 --> 06:45.180 members who were sick and in need of 06:45.190 --> 06:47.190 assistance and help . And it's very 06:47.190 --> 06:49.190 personal to us . We understand what 06:49.340 --> 06:51.760 what what these professionals do every 06:51.760 --> 06:53.871 day and and and we understand it in a 06:53.871 --> 06:55.982 way that for us is really , it's done 06:55.982 --> 06:58.038 personally . We feel very strong and 06:58.038 --> 07:00.260 deep sense of commitment to seeing this 07:00.260 --> 07:02.630 through with some insight about what 07:02.630 --> 07:04.800 this issue really means to real people 07:04.800 --> 07:08.210 every day . And so our agenda is about 07:08.210 --> 07:10.099 what we need to do to give people 07:10.099 --> 07:13.170 everywhere a meaningful opportunity to 07:13.170 --> 07:16.750 both work and care for their families 07:17.440 --> 07:20.190 for far too long investments in care 07:20.200 --> 07:22.089 have dropped to the bottom of the 07:22.089 --> 07:24.410 priority list . But I'm going to be 07:24.410 --> 07:26.970 blunt here . That is because most 07:26.970 --> 07:30.570 people who rely on care are women and 07:30.570 --> 07:32.910 most people who supply care are also 07:32.910 --> 07:36.530 women . So it's time to make care a top 07:36.530 --> 07:38.474 priority . It is time to honor the 07:38.474 --> 07:41.350 value of care for Children for seniors 07:41.350 --> 07:43.461 and for people with disabilities . It 07:43.461 --> 07:46.090 is time to make corporations pay their 07:46.090 --> 07:48.860 fair share and pass our agenda 07:49.740 --> 07:53.460 because care cannot wait . 07:54.440 --> 07:56.860 So as I said , this is personal for me 07:57.340 --> 07:59.660 on every level , both on how I 07:59.660 --> 08:02.480 benefited from it and what I know is 08:02.480 --> 08:06.120 required to give it every weekday . For 08:06.120 --> 08:08.740 example , when I was growing up and on 08:08.740 --> 08:11.080 many weekends my mother went to work 08:11.080 --> 08:13.470 long hours in the lab . You see , my 08:13.470 --> 08:15.850 mother was a breast cancer researcher 08:16.340 --> 08:18.850 and she had two goals in her life To 08:18.850 --> 08:21.340 raise her two daughters and breast 08:21.340 --> 08:25.020 cancer . And so she worked long day , 08:25.020 --> 08:28.440 she worked weekends and when she did , 08:28.450 --> 08:31.310 my sister and I would walk two doors 08:31.310 --> 08:34.060 down to the home of Mrs Regina Shelton 08:34.840 --> 08:37.820 Mrs Shelton ran a childcare center and 08:37.820 --> 08:41.470 she became a second mother to us and 08:41.470 --> 08:43.860 for my mother , I remember this so well 08:43.860 --> 08:46.450 when something good happened at her lab 08:46.460 --> 08:48.710 and in her work , my mother would bring 08:48.710 --> 08:52.470 flowers home to mrs Shelton because she 08:52.470 --> 08:55.160 understood that . But for MS Shelton , 08:55.540 --> 08:57.707 she would not have been able to do the 08:57.707 --> 09:00.050 work that she did . She would not have 09:00.050 --> 09:03.160 been able to fulfil the ambitions 09:03.740 --> 09:06.310 she had for herself and for her 09:06.310 --> 09:09.180 daughters . Everyone 09:09.280 --> 09:11.960 deserves that kind of support 09:12.940 --> 09:15.580 and everyone deserves the kind of 09:15.580 --> 09:18.960 respect that I to this day . 09:19.440 --> 09:22.260 And my mother had for mrs Shelton . 09:23.550 --> 09:26.720 That is the work ahead . So thank you 09:26.720 --> 09:29.100 again for being here and I look forward 09:29.100 --> 09:31.590 to our conversation and now I will turn 09:31.590 --> 09:33.950 it over to Senator Tammy Duckworth's . 09:33.960 --> 09:36.720 Thank you . Thank you , madam . Vice 09:36.720 --> 09:38.887 President . It's an honor to be here . 09:38.887 --> 09:42.290 Hello everyone . Um It's also great to 09:42.290 --> 09:45.120 see I jin pooh . Hello . Good to see 09:45.120 --> 09:47.287 you as well . Um You know , we're here 09:47.287 --> 09:49.398 to discuss the importance of historic 09:49.398 --> 09:51.620 childcare , home health care and family 09:51.620 --> 09:53.787 leave investments in President biden's 09:53.787 --> 09:56.340 build back better agenda . Medicaid 09:56.340 --> 09:58.451 Home and community based services are 09:58.451 --> 10:00.930 essential to assisting older americans 10:00.930 --> 10:03.200 and people with disabilities and 10:03.200 --> 10:04.922 ensuring that this program has 10:04.922 --> 10:07.144 sufficient resources as as important as 10:07.144 --> 10:09.367 has ever been in our nation's history . 10:09.440 --> 10:11.910 Our nation is deep in a caregiving 10:11.910 --> 10:15.080 crisis for both patients and for care 10:15.080 --> 10:17.320 workers , seniors and people with 10:17.320 --> 10:19.264 disabilities who have already been 10:19.264 --> 10:21.209 disproportionately impacted by the 10:21.209 --> 10:23.960 deadly pandemic should not be forced to 10:23.960 --> 10:26.720 abandon their home services for groups 10:26.730 --> 10:29.130 settings where there are fire far 10:29.130 --> 10:31.280 higher risk of illness and death . 10:31.290 --> 10:33.512 While group settings may be appropriate 10:33.512 --> 10:35.679 for some people , not everybody should 10:35.679 --> 10:37.846 be forced into a group setting because 10:37.846 --> 10:40.020 there is no other choice . We must do 10:40.020 --> 10:41.980 our best to protect the dignity , 10:41.980 --> 10:44.450 health and financial stability of all 10:44.450 --> 10:46.600 americans and beyond this . We must 10:46.600 --> 10:49.270 remember the other caregiving crisis , 10:49.280 --> 10:51.470 the lack of paid leave for our working 10:51.470 --> 10:54.040 families without guaranteed leave . 10:54.040 --> 10:56.262 We've seen so many parents , especially 10:56.262 --> 10:59.010 women and parents of color are forced 10:59.010 --> 11:02.290 to make impossible choices between 11:02.290 --> 11:04.512 caring for their loved ones and earning 11:04.512 --> 11:07.060 a paycheck as a mom who works outside 11:07.060 --> 11:09.400 of the home . I know how difficult it 11:09.400 --> 11:12.210 can be to balance everything , making 11:12.210 --> 11:14.321 sure that I make it through a weekday 11:14.321 --> 11:16.432 morning routines , hustling to get my 11:16.432 --> 11:18.488 six and three year old on the school 11:18.488 --> 11:20.488 bus on time and while all the while 11:20.488 --> 11:22.599 trying to pack their lunch while they 11:22.599 --> 11:24.821 argue about what they want for lunch or 11:24.821 --> 11:26.932 Mac one for lunch , um , intending to 11:26.932 --> 11:29.154 and making sure that I get myself ready 11:29.154 --> 11:31.266 to go to work as well . Uh you know , 11:31.266 --> 11:33.210 to head to the capital to vote and 11:33.210 --> 11:35.321 introduced a new piece of legislation 11:35.321 --> 11:37.321 for America and then there were the 11:37.321 --> 11:39.543 mornings earlier in the pandemic when I 11:39.543 --> 11:41.599 spent part of everyday homeschooling 11:41.599 --> 11:43.930 abigail . My six year old poring over 11:43.930 --> 11:46.041 worksheets and trying to come up with 11:46.041 --> 11:48.152 science experiments and helping her . 11:48.152 --> 11:50.152 She was struggling with learning to 11:50.152 --> 11:52.374 read and write doing everything I could 11:52.374 --> 11:54.374 to make sure that she wouldn't fall 11:54.374 --> 11:56.350 behind . I may be a train assault 11:56.350 --> 11:58.850 helicopter pilot and a U . S . Senator . 11:58.850 --> 12:00.930 But I'm going to tell you I am not a 12:00.930 --> 12:03.152 trained elementary school teacher and I 12:03.152 --> 12:05.240 bow down to all teachers everywhere 12:05.240 --> 12:08.050 because it was it was it was far harder 12:08.050 --> 12:10.106 than flying a helicopter in combat . 12:10.106 --> 12:12.400 Let me just say that . Um But listen 12:12.410 --> 12:14.660 through every moment of every stress to 12:14.660 --> 12:17.300 morning , I know that I'm one of the 12:17.300 --> 12:19.730 lucky ones . I have help . I have a 12:19.730 --> 12:21.840 husband , my mom moved in during the 12:21.840 --> 12:24.007 pandemic so she was there to help take 12:24.007 --> 12:26.670 care of our Children . Um She was 12:26.670 --> 12:28.892 always happy to lend a helping hand and 12:28.892 --> 12:31.560 I have the ability to take paid leave 12:31.940 --> 12:34.690 if an emergency arises . But for far 12:34.690 --> 12:36.620 too many parents that is not a 12:36.620 --> 12:39.460 possibility . Even through even before 12:39.460 --> 12:43.010 the pandemic , nearly 80% , of private 12:43.010 --> 12:45.570 sector workers did not have access to 12:45.570 --> 12:47.850 paid family leave through their jobs to 12:47.850 --> 12:50.570 care for a new child or for a loved one 12:50.570 --> 12:53.470 who falls ill . And just 8% of workers 12:53.480 --> 12:56.680 imagine that in those mightiest country 12:56.680 --> 12:59.030 on the face of the earth , just 8% of 12:59.030 --> 13:02.740 our workers um in the bottom 25% of the 13:02.740 --> 13:04.810 wage scale had access to paid family 13:04.810 --> 13:08.760 leave in 2020 just 8% new research 13:08.770 --> 13:11.070 shows that taking action on policies 13:11.070 --> 13:13.320 that help families address their care 13:13.320 --> 13:15.900 needs could add 2.4 trillion . That's 13:15.900 --> 13:18.790 with a t trillion dollars to the United 13:18.790 --> 13:21.380 States gross domestic product by 2030 . 13:21.390 --> 13:23.480 It grows our economy to make these 13:23.480 --> 13:25.780 investments . So it's clear that paid 13:25.780 --> 13:27.947 leave is not only good for the working 13:27.947 --> 13:30.710 family , it's good for our nation and 13:30.710 --> 13:32.932 that's why it's critical debt . We work 13:32.932 --> 13:35.043 to pass the biden , build back better 13:35.043 --> 13:36.766 agenda and make these historic 13:36.766 --> 13:38.766 movements in the care economy . And 13:38.766 --> 13:40.932 with that I'm turning it back over , I 13:40.932 --> 13:44.180 believe too . I imagine . Thank you so 13:44.180 --> 13:46.590 much . Senator dot dwarf . Our first 13:46.590 --> 13:49.290 question today is from Tory Snyder , a 13:49.290 --> 13:51.457 small business owner and single mother 13:51.457 --> 13:53.150 in Pittsburgh , Tory , 13:55.840 --> 13:58.062 Good morning madam , Vice president and 13:58.062 --> 14:00.284 Senator . Or if I'm Tory Snyder and the 14:00.284 --> 14:02.340 founder of self care senorita and an 14:02.340 --> 14:04.507 advocate for memorizing . I'm based in 14:04.507 --> 14:06.396 Pittsburgh as a single mom with a 14:06.396 --> 14:08.451 toddler on the autism spectrum and a 14:08.451 --> 14:10.507 grandmother I helped care for due to 14:10.507 --> 14:12.620 the after effects of Covid 19 I think 14:12.620 --> 14:14.453 I'm the definition of a sandwich 14:14.453 --> 14:16.509 generation . It has been hard for me 14:16.509 --> 14:18.676 because during the pandemic , My son's 14:18.676 --> 14:20.676 child care program closed and while 14:20.676 --> 14:22.898 it's open now it's a huge cost to me as 14:22.898 --> 14:25.330 it's about 30% of my take home pay . 14:25.340 --> 14:27.690 This is huge as I try to care for my 14:27.690 --> 14:29.760 family and keep my small business 14:29.760 --> 14:31.940 afloat . I'm using the temporary 14:31.940 --> 14:34.150 expanded child tax credit to help pay 14:34.150 --> 14:36.990 my family's bills . I'm curious is the 14:36.990 --> 14:38.934 expanded child tax credit going to 14:38.934 --> 14:41.101 continue after the end of the year and 14:41.101 --> 14:43.101 our lawmakers finally going to make 14:43.101 --> 14:45.268 childcare affordable for families like 14:45.268 --> 14:45.060 mine 14:49.040 --> 14:51.262 Tory first of all , thank you for being 14:51.262 --> 14:53.830 a part of this and for your voice and 14:53.840 --> 14:56.007 the courage of your voice to tell your 14:56.007 --> 14:58.380 story because your story represents the 14:58.380 --> 15:00.680 life of so many people in our country . 15:00.690 --> 15:03.850 And um I will say this the child tax 15:03.850 --> 15:07.310 credit , we feel very strongly that it 15:07.310 --> 15:10.400 should endure , that it should continue . 15:10.400 --> 15:14.020 We know that it works , we 15:14.020 --> 15:16.230 know and this is probably one of the 15:16.230 --> 15:18.600 things I'll speak for myself that I'm 15:18.600 --> 15:21.120 most proud of that our administration 15:21.120 --> 15:23.610 has been able to accomplish , which is 15:23.610 --> 15:25.666 the thought that we will lift almost 15:25.666 --> 15:27.554 half of America's Children out of 15:27.554 --> 15:30.000 poverty . The generational impact that 15:30.010 --> 15:32.530 is profound and so we have to continue 15:32.530 --> 15:34.863 it because we know it makes sense right , 15:34.863 --> 15:37.310 Which is just give parents that extra 15:37.310 --> 15:40.570 bit that allows you to take your 15:40.580 --> 15:43.020 essential needs for your family and 15:43.020 --> 15:45.242 that includes food . It includes rent , 15:45.242 --> 15:48.000 it includes the cost of childcare . So 15:48.010 --> 15:50.410 under the american rescue plan , we got 15:50.410 --> 15:53.550 it so that it's $3000 for a child under 15:53.560 --> 15:54.960 over six and 15:54.970 --> 15:58.970 $303,600 for , for Children under the 15:58.970 --> 16:01.770 age of six . And um , it is the first 16:01.770 --> 16:04.170 time that the money will go to families 16:04.170 --> 16:06.960 on a monthly basis . Um That is one of 16:06.960 --> 16:09.182 the important things about what we were 16:09.182 --> 16:11.127 able to accomplish . And basically 16:11.127 --> 16:13.500 because the bottom line is obvious your 16:13.500 --> 16:15.890 bills are on a monthly basis , you 16:15.890 --> 16:18.057 can't wait till the end of the year to 16:18.057 --> 16:20.112 pay the rent . And so that's part of 16:20.112 --> 16:22.279 the design of what we've done with the 16:22.279 --> 16:24.390 child tax credit . Um And the and the 16:24.390 --> 16:26.501 bottom line is that the current state 16:26.501 --> 16:28.557 of affairs is it's too expensive and 16:28.557 --> 16:30.723 too hard to find childcare and we need 16:30.723 --> 16:32.779 to make it easier . And so there's a 16:32.779 --> 16:35.001 supply and demand issue at play here as 16:35.001 --> 16:36.946 well which is the more that we can 16:36.946 --> 16:39.112 actually give parents resources to pay 16:39.112 --> 16:41.730 for childcare . It is our intention 16:41.730 --> 16:43.786 also and working with hygiene and so 16:43.786 --> 16:46.310 many other leaders to also demand that 16:46.310 --> 16:49.160 our child care providers are paid more . 16:49.940 --> 16:52.350 Um but it shouldn't be more expensive 16:52.350 --> 16:54.880 for the parent to pay child care 16:54.880 --> 16:57.660 workers their value . And so that in 16:57.660 --> 16:59.950 essence is what we are fighting for . 16:59.960 --> 17:02.220 Let's make it less expensive . Let's 17:02.220 --> 17:04.220 make it more accessible for working 17:04.220 --> 17:07.150 parents And let's pay people their 17:07.150 --> 17:09.039 value based on the work that they 17:09.039 --> 17:11.150 provide for a community and society . 17:11.150 --> 17:13.372 So it is our intention to keep fighting 17:13.372 --> 17:15.750 for it also to lower um the expensive 17:15.750 --> 17:18.380 child care so that no family , middle 17:18.380 --> 17:20.330 or low-income pays more than 7% of 17:20.330 --> 17:23.530 their income in childcare . Well I I 17:23.530 --> 17:25.570 could not agree with vice President 17:25.570 --> 17:27.710 Harris moore as a mom to two young 17:27.710 --> 17:29.877 girls , they're three and six , I know 17:29.877 --> 17:32.099 how important childcare is . It's not a 17:32.099 --> 17:34.510 luxury . It's a necessity for all 17:34.510 --> 17:36.566 working parents and making sure that 17:36.566 --> 17:38.621 every parent has access to quality , 17:38.621 --> 17:40.732 affordable child care . It's not only 17:40.732 --> 17:42.843 good for the kids , it's good for our 17:42.843 --> 17:45.066 nation's economy because it keeps women 17:45.066 --> 17:47.720 and men in their jobs . Um , and I'm 17:47.720 --> 17:49.942 hopeful that we're gonna be able to get 17:49.942 --> 17:52.109 it done in the Senate were fighting as 17:52.109 --> 17:54.109 hard as we can with american rescue 17:54.109 --> 17:56.164 plan . Uh you know , was passed on a 17:56.164 --> 17:58.387 party line agenda . Um , and if we have 17:58.387 --> 18:00.498 to do this with just democrats voting 18:00.498 --> 18:02.609 for it as we did with american rescue 18:02.609 --> 18:02.160 plan that brought you the child tax 18:02.160 --> 18:04.220 credit , then that's the way we're 18:04.220 --> 18:06.276 going to go . But we're not going to 18:06.276 --> 18:08.276 stop fighting . We hope that others 18:08.276 --> 18:10.276 join us . But if they don't , we're 18:10.276 --> 18:09.630 going to fight to make sure that we get 18:09.630 --> 18:11.686 this passage that critical the child 18:11.686 --> 18:13.920 tax credit goes directly into the 18:13.920 --> 18:16.820 pockets of families and for diapers and 18:16.820 --> 18:19.630 formula and school supplies and food . 18:19.640 --> 18:21.860 We must extend these critical tax 18:21.860 --> 18:24.390 credits as we work to build back better 18:24.390 --> 18:26.830 and to imp really implement the biden 18:26.830 --> 18:28.997 Harris agenda . So no , that we in the 18:28.997 --> 18:31.052 Senate , especially Senate democrats 18:31.052 --> 18:33.163 are fighting as hard as we can and if 18:33.163 --> 18:35.219 we have to pass it along party lines 18:35.219 --> 18:34.760 and we will , but we're not going to 18:34.760 --> 18:36.204 give up on our families . 18:44.940 --> 18:47.051 I do think that we are going to go to 18:47.051 --> 18:48.940 the next person , which should be 18:48.940 --> 18:51.610 Nicole Warwick from Illinois . Hello , 18:51.610 --> 18:52.460 Niko 18:59.240 --> 19:02.990 Nicole Unmute yourself a wave . 19:03.000 --> 19:06.760 Let's see you . Where are you ? 19:07.340 --> 19:11.190 Where's Nicole ? Well , well 19:11.190 --> 19:13.670 thank you . There's Nicole right there . 19:13.680 --> 19:16.710 Yes . Hello . Hello , madam . Vice 19:16.710 --> 19:18.710 president and thank you Senator dot 19:18.710 --> 19:21.070 worth . We are in Illinois and I'm here 19:21.070 --> 19:23.780 with my um , I'm here as a professional 19:23.780 --> 19:26.050 but also as a family caregiver . I'm 19:26.060 --> 19:28.171 Nicole drawbacks , Senior Director of 19:28.171 --> 19:30.171 public policy for the ark . But I'm 19:30.171 --> 19:32.338 sitting here with my brother chris who 19:32.338 --> 19:34.393 receives Medicaid home and community 19:34.393 --> 19:36.393 based care . My mom who coordinates 19:36.393 --> 19:38.616 that care but also coordinates the care 19:38.616 --> 19:40.671 of her parents . Uh , which got more 19:40.671 --> 19:42.727 complex with my grandmother's recent 19:42.727 --> 19:44.690 Parkinson's diagnosis . So many 19:44.690 --> 19:46.579 families are families like ours , 19:46.579 --> 19:48.801 realizing often only when they need the 19:48.801 --> 19:51.023 services the most that Medicare doesn't 19:51.023 --> 19:53.360 cover long term services for aging 19:53.360 --> 19:55.570 family members and that waiting lists 19:55.570 --> 19:57.737 are years long for them and for people 19:57.737 --> 19:59.848 with disabilities who need Medicaid , 19:59.848 --> 20:02.070 home and community based services . And 20:02.070 --> 20:04.237 even when families are lucky like ours 20:04.237 --> 20:06.348 to get pulled off of the list getting 20:06.348 --> 20:08.514 and keeping direct support workers and 20:08.514 --> 20:10.681 home care workers is difficult because 20:10.681 --> 20:12.737 the pay is so low , much too low for 20:12.737 --> 20:14.681 the work that they do , especially 20:14.681 --> 20:16.848 because it is life giving work . It is 20:16.848 --> 20:19.070 harrowing to fill in gaps in the system 20:19.070 --> 20:21.292 to keep family members safe at home and 20:21.292 --> 20:23.070 avoid financial ruin for family 20:23.070 --> 20:26.520 caregiver . Sorry the polling continues 20:26.520 --> 20:28.520 to be strong for the investments in 20:28.520 --> 20:30.409 home and community based care for 20:30.409 --> 20:32.520 seniors like my grandma , people with 20:32.520 --> 20:34.742 disabilities like chris here for family 20:34.742 --> 20:36.964 caregivers like my mom and for the paid 20:36.964 --> 20:38.990 workforce and chris's words , these 20:38.990 --> 20:40.768 services matter because it is a 20:40.768 --> 20:42.823 lifeline to people like me . We must 20:42.823 --> 20:44.879 make sure it is available to anybody 20:44.879 --> 20:46.934 who needs it and we must support the 20:46.934 --> 20:49.157 workers who do the work . Our family is 20:49.157 --> 20:51.379 thrilled with President biden's plan to 20:51.379 --> 20:53.601 include these investments for access to 20:53.601 --> 20:55.712 home and community based care and for 20:55.712 --> 20:57.657 better pay for the workers and the 20:57.657 --> 20:59.823 build back better agenda . My question 20:59.823 --> 21:01.712 is what can people members of the 21:01.712 --> 21:03.934 disability community like chris and our 21:03.934 --> 21:05.601 family expect to see from the 21:05.601 --> 21:07.657 administration through the bill peck 21:07.657 --> 21:09.879 better agenda in this space . Thank you 21:09.879 --> 21:12.101 so much . Thank you Nick . Oh thank you 21:12.101 --> 21:14.046 chris thank you mom for being here 21:14.046 --> 21:16.101 today . I'm gonna take first shot at 21:16.101 --> 21:18.212 this and then handed over to the Vice 21:18.212 --> 21:20.268 president . There is so much that we 21:20.268 --> 21:22.490 can do . Niko there's so much we can do 21:22.490 --> 21:21.980 to better support people with 21:21.980 --> 21:24.160 disabilities and I know this remains a 21:24.160 --> 21:26.800 top priority for the biden Harris 21:26.800 --> 21:29.022 administration . One way that we can do 21:29.022 --> 21:30.967 this is what you've already talked 21:30.967 --> 21:33.189 about that and something that I've been 21:33.189 --> 21:35.300 pushing for very hard is investing in 21:35.300 --> 21:37.522 home and community based services . H . 21:37.522 --> 21:39.411 C . D . S strengthening HCPS is a 21:39.411 --> 21:41.467 pillar of the president's build back 21:41.467 --> 21:43.850 better agenda . And that's why I was 21:43.850 --> 21:46.470 proud to help secure $12 billion in 21:46.470 --> 21:49.210 funding for HCPS in the american rescue 21:49.210 --> 21:51.370 plan which democrats passed . And 21:51.370 --> 21:53.600 that's why I also led an effort in 21:53.600 --> 21:55.860 support for fulfilling president biden 21:55.940 --> 21:58.740 vice president Harris requests or $400 21:58.740 --> 22:01.480 billion to expand and improve Medicaid 22:01.490 --> 22:04.860 HCPS funding in this budget package . 22:04.870 --> 22:07.130 We have an opportunity now to invest in 22:07.130 --> 22:09.074 HCPS through the build back better 22:09.080 --> 22:11.191 budget and I'll continue working with 22:11.191 --> 22:14.250 my colleagues to get it done and I'm 22:14.250 --> 22:17.860 vice president . That's great . Uh So 22:17.870 --> 22:20.210 everybody probably knows that H . C . B . 22:20.210 --> 22:22.377 S . Is the Medicaid home and community 22:22.377 --> 22:25.040 based services program and at the heart 22:25.040 --> 22:28.940 of it . Um The point is and this is why 22:28.940 --> 22:31.107 build back better is going to put more 22:31.107 --> 22:33.218 resources into that is that we should 22:33.218 --> 22:36.060 allow people with disabilities to fully 22:36.060 --> 22:39.600 participate in society . That should 22:39.600 --> 22:43.530 be the goal . Um Our collective goal . 22:43.540 --> 22:45.596 And then the question becomes , well 22:45.596 --> 22:47.762 how do you reach that goal ? Well part 22:47.762 --> 22:49.873 of it is families need support and it 22:49.873 --> 22:51.762 literally financial support to do 22:51.762 --> 22:55.550 things like home upgrades right to have 22:55.550 --> 22:59.140 personal AIDS so that folks can receive 22:59.150 --> 23:02.720 the support they need and it ranges 23:02.730 --> 23:06.050 on the scale of support and care right . 23:06.060 --> 23:08.004 Sometimes it's a little bit of one 23:08.004 --> 23:10.060 sometimes it's more of the other but 23:10.060 --> 23:13.020 families need help doing that and it 23:13.020 --> 23:15.080 should be our collective interest in 23:15.080 --> 23:18.430 supporting that , that approach because 23:18.430 --> 23:20.708 it's just simply the right thing to do . 23:20.708 --> 23:22.874 And so again , I want to thank you all 23:22.874 --> 23:25.090 for your courage to tell your story . 23:25.090 --> 23:27.257 It's great to see all three of you . I 23:27.257 --> 23:29.146 know you are a multi generational 23:29.146 --> 23:31.090 family and there's so much that is 23:31.090 --> 23:33.520 great about that . It's , it is 23:33.520 --> 23:36.050 wonderful to have , but it does require 23:36.050 --> 23:38.010 a lot of work , especially for the 23:38.010 --> 23:39.954 generation that's in the middle of 23:39.954 --> 23:42.370 those multi generations . And um , so 23:42.370 --> 23:44.314 we appreciate all that you all are 23:44.314 --> 23:46.370 doing and thank you . We're going to 23:46.370 --> 23:46.150 keep fighting for you . We've got to 23:46.150 --> 23:48.261 build back better . Thank you . Thank 23:48.261 --> 23:50.206 you , Vice president . Thank you . 23:53.940 --> 23:55.940 That's right . We got to build back 23:55.940 --> 23:57.996 better and I don't know about all of 23:57.996 --> 23:59.996 you , but I'm feeling energized and 23:59.996 --> 24:01.996 inspired . Next up , we're going to 24:01.996 --> 24:03.996 hear from Melilla called a who is a 24:03.996 --> 24:06.650 home care worker in Scottsdale Arizona 24:06.660 --> 24:08.860 and owns her own home care agency . 24:09.440 --> 24:13.220 Welcome Julia . Hi , 24:13.230 --> 24:15.740 good morning . My name is Natalia 24:15.740 --> 24:17.684 Cardona and I am from Scottsdale . 24:17.684 --> 24:20.170 Arizona . I am a home care worker and I 24:20.170 --> 24:22.337 have been working in this industry for 24:22.337 --> 24:24.760 over 25 years . It's an honor to be 24:24.760 --> 24:26.900 here and I hope that my story will 24:26.900 --> 24:29.960 inspire Congress to take bold action to 24:29.960 --> 24:31.960 make the investment in care that we 24:31.960 --> 24:34.360 need . My family started the home care 24:34.370 --> 24:36.790 agency and because I love home care 24:36.800 --> 24:39.410 work . I took over my family's business , 24:39.540 --> 24:41.810 caring for others is how I want to 24:41.810 --> 24:44.250 spend my days . I personally take care 24:44.250 --> 24:46.194 of for clients . And it feels good 24:46.194 --> 24:48.440 knowing that I am making a difference 24:48.440 --> 24:50.607 in their lives by giving them the gift 24:50.607 --> 24:52.273 of care so that they can live 24:52.273 --> 24:54.490 independently at home . But being a 24:54.490 --> 24:57.110 home care worker is not an easy job 24:57.120 --> 24:59.120 where essential workers who provide 24:59.120 --> 25:02.030 care to americans , we don't quality 25:02.030 --> 25:04.510 pay protections are the respect we 25:04.510 --> 25:07.510 deserve . In Arizona where I need every 25:07.510 --> 25:09.790 state , there is growing demand of home 25:09.790 --> 25:13.190 care because more people 12 H at home . 25:13.200 --> 25:16.550 Yet it's the poor quality of 25:17.040 --> 25:19.820 this with low wages , lack of training 25:19.820 --> 25:22.350 and benefits . There are internet 25:22.740 --> 25:26.610 demand . My spread citizen sarah , 25:26.620 --> 25:28.787 we know that you're both champions for 25:28.787 --> 25:31.410 good union home care jobs with living 25:31.420 --> 25:33.990 wages and expanded access to care for 25:33.990 --> 25:36.130 families and communities in need of 25:36.130 --> 25:39.230 services . My question is how will you 25:39.230 --> 25:41.970 make sure that home care jobs receive 25:41.970 --> 25:44.720 strong support an investment from the 25:44.730 --> 25:47.850 federal government . Thank 25:47.850 --> 25:51.300 you leah , well first let me just give 25:51.300 --> 25:52.967 you a little background on my 25:52.967 --> 25:56.820 perspective . one I spent a day 25:56.820 --> 25:59.090 with the home healthcare worker , a 25:59.090 --> 26:01.201 member of S . E . I . U . By the name 26:01.201 --> 26:03.750 of Wendy cho . Years ago I spent the 26:03.750 --> 26:07.530 whole day with her the work she 26:07.530 --> 26:10.410 did during those long hours of that day . 26:10.410 --> 26:14.170 It was extraordinary taking care of 26:14.630 --> 26:18.350 an elderly woman who required 26:18.350 --> 26:21.470 everything that everyone requires . Um 26:21.480 --> 26:24.560 So Wendy was responsible for and did it 26:24.560 --> 26:26.727 in a loving way for food preparation , 26:27.440 --> 26:31.130 for helping the person she was 26:31.130 --> 26:33.450 caring for to actually get to the table 26:33.450 --> 26:35.283 where she would need to eat . Um 26:35.290 --> 26:38.840 changing her clothes , cleaning the bed 26:38.840 --> 26:42.570 from time to time assisting the elderly 26:42.570 --> 26:45.900 lady with going to the bathroom , um 26:45.910 --> 26:49.180 taking her on walks to uplift her 26:49.180 --> 26:51.930 spirit and talking about the beauty of 26:51.930 --> 26:54.730 the day and let's look and see this and 26:54.730 --> 26:58.600 that uh it was extraordinary 26:58.600 --> 27:01.610 work . And then sometimes not knowing 27:01.610 --> 27:04.890 when the elderly woman would have 27:04.900 --> 27:07.150 fits where she needed support , she 27:07.150 --> 27:09.970 needed some emergency or you know , 27:09.980 --> 27:12.760 unscheduled kind of assistance around 27:12.760 --> 27:15.560 her health care . Wendy cho did all 27:15.560 --> 27:17.780 this work in the course of one day . 27:17.780 --> 27:21.310 And I mentioned that um to 27:21.310 --> 27:23.440 also highlight a point that you made 27:23.440 --> 27:26.240 about the training that is required to 27:26.240 --> 27:28.710 do this work . We'd all like to think 27:28.710 --> 27:31.150 we can do it . I took care of my mother 27:31.150 --> 27:33.650 when she um as it turned out , was 27:33.660 --> 27:37.190 dying from cancer and I was 27:37.190 --> 27:39.357 fortunate enough to be in a job at the 27:39.357 --> 27:41.357 time where I could leave whenever I 27:41.357 --> 27:44.470 wanted , but that's a rare situation 27:44.470 --> 27:46.526 that anyone can , any working person 27:46.526 --> 27:48.950 can do that . And but I do know from 27:48.950 --> 27:51.140 personal experience , again , you're 27:51.140 --> 27:53.307 not on a schedule in terms of the work 27:53.307 --> 27:55.530 day , it's whatever the person you're 27:55.530 --> 27:58.480 caring for needs and the skills that 27:58.480 --> 28:00.480 you have to do the work you do as a 28:00.480 --> 28:02.702 professional are extraordinary and that 28:02.702 --> 28:04.813 is a function of training . And it is 28:04.813 --> 28:06.702 also a special gift that you give 28:06.710 --> 28:09.720 another human being who is often in the 28:09.720 --> 28:11.998 case of professionals who do this work . 28:11.998 --> 28:14.220 You're caring for people that are total 28:14.220 --> 28:16.220 strangers to you and you treat them 28:16.220 --> 28:19.960 like family . So We feel 28:19.960 --> 28:22.280 very strongly that we should be doing a 28:22.290 --> 28:24.870 much better job . The average salary 28:24.870 --> 28:27.810 for a home health care worker is $11.50 28:27.810 --> 28:31.010 an hour For anybody . I'll just help 28:31.010 --> 28:32.899 you with the math . Anybody who's 28:32.899 --> 28:36.260 listening is $16,000 a year 28:38.740 --> 28:40.796 for some of the most noble work that 28:40.796 --> 28:43.730 any one human being can do on behalf of 28:43.730 --> 28:47.530 another person . So um part of the 28:47.530 --> 28:49.530 community based services program on 28:49.530 --> 28:51.308 Under Medicaid that we are also 28:51.308 --> 28:53.252 fighting for and build back better 28:53.252 --> 28:55.141 would increase money to states to 28:55.141 --> 28:58.000 increase wages for our nation's home 28:58.010 --> 28:59.710 health care workers . Again , 28:59.720 --> 29:02.150 understanding the training the skill 29:02.150 --> 29:04.430 and the devotion with which you do your 29:04.430 --> 29:08.360 job . Thank you . Thank you . Well , 29:08.370 --> 29:10.520 um Adam Price friend , you could not 29:10.520 --> 29:12.730 have said that any better . Um I agree 29:12.730 --> 29:15.520 we need to invest in home care . In 29:15.520 --> 29:17.409 fact , earlier this year , I help 29:17.409 --> 29:20.120 Senator Casey introduced a Better care 29:20.120 --> 29:22.690 better jobs act to carry forward the 29:22.690 --> 29:25.650 biden Harris bold vision to expand 29:25.660 --> 29:28.510 access to quality care , better pay and 29:28.510 --> 29:30.677 better benefits for workers and create 29:30.677 --> 29:32.880 jobs for our economy . We have to do 29:32.880 --> 29:35.102 better to make sure that americans with 29:35.102 --> 29:37.450 disabilities and older americans have 29:37.450 --> 29:40.020 quality long term care and that home 29:40.020 --> 29:42.290 care workers are paid fair wages and 29:42.290 --> 29:44.330 receive their benefits . That's the 29:44.330 --> 29:46.552 bottom line . That's what we're working 29:46.552 --> 29:48.663 for right now . And people deserve to 29:48.663 --> 29:50.719 age in their own homes , live in the 29:50.719 --> 29:52.941 situation that they want to live in and 29:52.941 --> 29:54.997 when they receive care they can have 29:54.997 --> 29:54.930 lives of dignity and some of them 29:54.940 --> 29:57.162 become more productive , something that 29:57.162 --> 29:59.329 actually being able to hold down a job 29:59.329 --> 30:01.440 whereas they would have been before . 30:01.440 --> 30:03.496 So this makes sense . This is why we 30:03.496 --> 30:05.496 need to pass the bill back that are 30:05.496 --> 30:07.440 right inheres agenda . Thank you . 30:09.540 --> 30:12.470 I couldn't agree more senator . So our 30:12.470 --> 30:15.380 final question today is from Stephanie 30:15.380 --> 30:17.710 Woody in Charlestown west Virginia 30:17.720 --> 30:20.210 who's juggling family caregiving and 30:20.210 --> 30:22.543 the demands of running a small business . 30:22.543 --> 30:24.599 Welcome Stephanie . Thanks for being 30:24.599 --> 30:27.280 with us . Thank you . I gin . And 30:27.290 --> 30:30.090 especially thank you to um madam Vice 30:30.090 --> 30:32.180 president and senator dot org . I'm 30:32.180 --> 30:34.347 Stephanie Woody . I live in charleston 30:34.347 --> 30:38.010 west Virginia . And this past april in 30:38.010 --> 30:40.121 the middle of a pandemic . My husband 30:40.121 --> 30:42.010 and I opened our restaurant , the 30:42.010 --> 30:44.121 Vandalia company here in charleston . 30:44.121 --> 30:46.890 Um shortly after we opened our youngest 30:46.890 --> 30:49.690 son had a mountain bike accident out of 30:49.690 --> 30:52.460 town and required emergency surgery . 30:52.940 --> 30:55.040 We are lucky enough to have a great 30:55.040 --> 30:57.610 community of small business owners um 30:57.620 --> 30:59.990 in our neighborhood who were able to 30:59.990 --> 31:01.879 get the word out that we would be 31:01.879 --> 31:03.990 closed thankfully . It was just for a 31:03.990 --> 31:06.101 few days . But that experience really 31:06.101 --> 31:08.390 showed us that we have a great need for 31:08.390 --> 31:11.560 paid leave when the expected or the 31:11.560 --> 31:14.970 unexpected happens . So we're just one 31:14.970 --> 31:18.280 family . But my employees and all 31:18.280 --> 31:21.980 workers really need um paid family and 31:21.980 --> 31:24.950 medical leave . Um Small businesses 31:24.950 --> 31:27.510 like mine , we can't afford to provide 31:27.510 --> 31:30.780 that on our own . Um So we need the 31:30.780 --> 31:33.350 help from a federal program . Um After 31:33.350 --> 31:35.350 our experience , I wrote to Senator 31:35.350 --> 31:37.760 Manchin um explained what had happened , 31:37.760 --> 31:40.150 asked him about pay leave and I was 31:40.150 --> 31:42.240 floored to answer the phone one day 31:42.240 --> 31:44.351 while I was cooking at our restaurant 31:44.351 --> 31:47.240 and hear his voice . Um He told me he 31:47.240 --> 31:49.550 understood how important paid leave was 31:49.560 --> 31:52.080 to us . Um And he was supportive of my 31:52.080 --> 31:55.110 concerns . He knows that no one worked 31:55.110 --> 31:57.860 harder than mountaineers . But he 31:58.340 --> 32:01.310 also , I hope that I'm in clear to him 32:01.310 --> 32:03.254 that there are some things that we 32:03.254 --> 32:05.490 can't manage on our own . Um So small 32:05.490 --> 32:08.400 businesses are employees , We need the 32:08.400 --> 32:11.490 support that is in build back better , 32:11.500 --> 32:13.510 especially right now during this 32:13.510 --> 32:16.620 pandemic . Um so my question to you is 32:16.620 --> 32:18.890 what does the build back better agenda 32:18.900 --> 32:21.950 due to ensure that others don't have to 32:21.950 --> 32:24.228 go without pay leave when they need it . 32:24.228 --> 32:27.680 And what can people like me do to help 32:27.680 --> 32:29.847 get this legislation across the finish 32:29.847 --> 32:32.740 line ? Thank you . Yeah , well 32:32.750 --> 32:36.170 thank you Stephanie , every 32:36.170 --> 32:38.281 american , every american should have 32:38.281 --> 32:40.392 access to paid leave and should never 32:40.392 --> 32:42.226 have to decide between getting a 32:42.226 --> 32:44.337 paycheck and caring for a sick family 32:44.337 --> 32:46.559 member or a child . When my first child 32:46.559 --> 32:48.503 was born , my husband was still in 32:48.503 --> 32:48.480 military service and he got 10 days off . 32:48.490 --> 32:50.546 That was it 10 days and he had to go 32:50.546 --> 32:52.657 back to work . Uh , we've worked hard 32:52.657 --> 32:54.657 to fix that um , within the federal 32:54.657 --> 32:57.050 government , but every american , every 32:57.050 --> 32:59.560 american deserves to have time off to 32:59.560 --> 33:01.727 go take care of a loved one . Remember 33:01.727 --> 33:04.020 after a long senate workday and I 33:04.020 --> 33:06.131 started getting on an airplane to fly 33:06.131 --> 33:08.353 back home , My husband texted me as the 33:08.353 --> 33:10.464 airplane was pushing back and he said 33:10.464 --> 33:12.980 the baby's okay . She fell , but we 33:12.980 --> 33:15.091 can't stop the bleeding headed to the 33:15.091 --> 33:18.750 emergency room . Oh my well this um , 33:18.760 --> 33:21.038 but I was able , she's fine . She just , 33:21.038 --> 33:23.204 she just cut her lip . Um I had to get 33:23.204 --> 33:25.260 some stitches , but I was fine to be 33:25.260 --> 33:27.482 able to take her to subsequent doctor's 33:27.482 --> 33:27.010 appointment and take the time off from 33:27.010 --> 33:29.210 work in order to do that . And I'm a 33:29.220 --> 33:31.442 very lucky person that I was able to do 33:31.442 --> 33:33.553 that and care for my childhood had an 33:33.553 --> 33:35.498 accident . Um This issue is really 33:35.498 --> 33:37.790 personal to me , uh unfortunate that I 33:37.790 --> 33:39.901 have help when I need it . I can take 33:39.901 --> 33:42.068 time off when I , when I need to , but 33:42.068 --> 33:44.179 for far too many parents , they don't 33:44.179 --> 33:46.012 have those options . And this is 33:46.012 --> 33:47.901 something that has become all too 33:47.901 --> 33:49.568 obvious during the pandemic , 33:49.568 --> 33:51.846 especially for those essential workers . 33:51.846 --> 33:54.012 New research shows that taking actions 33:54.012 --> 33:56.350 on policies for care and equity could 33:56.360 --> 33:58.490 add 2.4 trillion 33:58.500 --> 34:02.480 $2.4 trillion . That's with a T to our 34:02.480 --> 34:04.900 GDP by 2030 . So it's clear that paid 34:04.900 --> 34:07.067 leave is not only good for the working 34:07.067 --> 34:09.233 family , it's good for our economy and 34:09.233 --> 34:11.760 that's why it's so critical for the 34:11.760 --> 34:13.982 biden Harris built back better agenda . 34:13.982 --> 34:16.149 And you ask , what can you do call joe 34:16.149 --> 34:18.316 Manchin again and tell them to support 34:18.316 --> 34:20.160 it . Thank you . 34:21.240 --> 34:24.450 So Here's some 34:24.460 --> 34:26.800 statistics , which I think many of us 34:26.800 --> 34:30.740 know 80% of private sector workers 34:30.750 --> 34:33.760 do not have paid leave 80% . 34:35.740 --> 34:39.670 So this is a big issue , especially 34:39.670 --> 34:41.920 when to the point that the senator made 34:41.920 --> 34:45.620 and you've made um Stephanie that 34:45.630 --> 34:48.470 at some point in everyone's life , 34:49.940 --> 34:52.920 um you will need to take time off from 34:52.920 --> 34:56.830 work to handle an emergency , to 34:56.830 --> 34:59.900 handle a to care for a sick relative , 34:59.910 --> 35:03.110 to have some time after giving birth to 35:03.110 --> 35:05.420 another human being , to actually rest 35:05.420 --> 35:07.670 and take care of that newborn child . 35:08.740 --> 35:11.640 And so let's talk about it in the 35:11.640 --> 35:15.470 context of the fact that there is a big 35:15.470 --> 35:19.090 issue in our country which is we are 35:19.090 --> 35:21.800 not taking care of workers who need 35:21.800 --> 35:25.450 time off to care for themselves or 35:25.450 --> 35:28.230 people in their families . And it's 35:28.230 --> 35:31.550 just not right . So again , build back 35:31.560 --> 35:34.010 better is gonna address that in many 35:34.010 --> 35:36.490 ways . If we pass , build back better 35:36.500 --> 35:38.500 in terms of your small business and 35:38.500 --> 35:40.500 congratulations on starting a small 35:40.500 --> 35:43.690 business . Um we also want to make sure 35:43.690 --> 35:45.523 that small businesses can better 35:45.523 --> 35:49.160 compete for workers because we know 35:49.160 --> 35:51.590 that where you see paid family leave , 35:51.600 --> 35:54.170 it's usually with the bigger companies 35:54.840 --> 35:57.310 who can afford it , but smaller 35:57.310 --> 35:59.880 businesses can't . But we want our 35:59.880 --> 36:02.560 small businesses to be competitive to 36:02.560 --> 36:05.500 do well . Our small businesses in the 36:05.500 --> 36:08.400 United States . The last numbers I saw 36:08.410 --> 36:10.650 almost half of the american workforce 36:10.660 --> 36:12.880 works for a small business or owns a 36:12.880 --> 36:16.220 small business . So let's even the 36:16.220 --> 36:19.210 playing field , right ? Both for the 36:19.210 --> 36:22.000 sake of supporting hardworking people , 36:22.000 --> 36:24.000 supporting our small businesses and 36:24.000 --> 36:26.330 supporting our families and that really 36:26.330 --> 36:28.590 at the heart of it is part of the the 36:28.590 --> 36:30.590 essence of what we are fighting for 36:30.590 --> 36:32.812 with the build back better initiative . 36:32.812 --> 36:34.923 So thank you for telling your story . 36:34.923 --> 36:38.720 How's your son doing ? He is 36:38.730 --> 36:41.120 Fantastic . No one heals like a 13 year 36:41.120 --> 36:44.800 old already back on his bike the 10 36:44.800 --> 36:47.910 years are they are just 36:47.910 --> 36:51.860 extraordinary . You 36:51.860 --> 36:54.750 have a very 36:58.010 --> 37:00.380 alright . Right . Exactly , thank you 37:00.380 --> 37:02.550 so much . Thank you . 37:08.130 --> 37:09.890 Thank you so much madam . Vice 37:09.890 --> 37:13.130 President , Former First Lady Rosalynn 37:13.130 --> 37:15.186 carter once said there are only four 37:15.186 --> 37:17.360 kinds of people . People who are 37:17.360 --> 37:20.120 caregivers or will be caregivers and 37:20.120 --> 37:22.398 people who need care or will need care . 37:22.730 --> 37:24.952 We've heard four different care stories 37:24.952 --> 37:27.770 today and we've seen how substantive 37:27.770 --> 37:30.640 government support could change our 37:30.640 --> 37:34.020 lives . These are all of our stories 37:34.030 --> 37:36.490 and together they tell a shared story 37:36.490 --> 37:38.620 about how urgent and important the 37:38.620 --> 37:41.100 support is to millions of us across the 37:41.100 --> 37:45.090 country . Care unites us all . And 37:45.090 --> 37:47.312 as we've heard from Senator dot org and 37:47.312 --> 37:49.670 Vice President Harris the bill back 37:49.670 --> 37:53.350 better agenda will provide that support 37:53.360 --> 37:56.430 to americans everywhere . It's a once 37:56.430 --> 37:58.990 in a generation opportunity to lift up 37:58.990 --> 38:02.440 our families to help us work and to 38:02.440 --> 38:05.480 secure our future . It's truly 38:05.490 --> 38:08.630 historic . So thank you so much to our 38:08.630 --> 38:11.230 engaged audience for joining us today 38:11.240 --> 38:14.210 and thank you to joan to Tory to 38:14.210 --> 38:16.490 Stephanie and Nicole and your whole 38:16.490 --> 38:19.270 family for sharing your experiences as 38:19.270 --> 38:20.937 care workers and his family . 38:20.937 --> 38:23.150 Caregivers and people who need this 38:23.150 --> 38:26.040 assistance . And thank you to all the 38:26.040 --> 38:28.530 caregivers out there watching for all 38:28.530 --> 38:31.040 that you do . I hope today was a 38:31.040 --> 38:34.190 reminder that you are not alone . And 38:34.190 --> 38:36.730 finally , thank you to Senator dot org 38:36.740 --> 38:38.790 and Vice President Harris for your 38:38.790 --> 38:41.690 leadership for taking the time to hear 38:41.690 --> 38:44.350 these stories and share your own for 38:44.350 --> 38:47.340 championing real solutions finally , 38:47.620 --> 38:49.740 and for helping us understand how the 38:49.740 --> 38:51.796 build back better agenda can address 38:51.796 --> 38:53.796 some of the most pressing issues we 38:53.796 --> 38:56.790 face every single day . Each of us has 38:56.790 --> 38:59.030 a role to play in making sure that we 38:59.030 --> 39:01.252 have the care infrastructure we need to 39:01.252 --> 39:04.900 thrive , Call your senators 39:05.070 --> 39:08.940 call them today , tell them you support , 39:08.950 --> 39:11.660 build back better with investments in 39:11.660 --> 39:15.150 childcare paid leave and Home care 39:15.620 --> 39:18.620 together . Let's make sure all 39:18.620 --> 39:20.950 americans get the support we need , 39:20.960 --> 39:23.950 because care can't wait .