Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution

Floor Speech

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Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Jobs and Childcare for Military Families Act, with my colleagues Senators Boozman and Tillis. By incentivizing private businesses to hire military spouses and allowing military families to use pre-tax dollars to pay for childcare, we can alleviate some of the unique hardships military families face and put them on firmer financial footing. This effort has only become more critical as the nation recovers from the coronavirus pandemic that has increased the number of unemployed and emphasized some longstanding issues in securing childcare for young families.

The families of America's servicemembers make sacrifices that are not as recognized in the public eye. Military spouses face routine moves every few years that require packing up a stable home in order to move to a new area and start over. This is compounded by the complex system of state licensing and certification requirements, which can limit these spouses from taking jobs that utilize their expertise and experience. Because of this, military spouses have unemployment rates substantially higher than the national average, and are often underemployed when they do have jobs. Adding to the financial struggle that frequent periods of unemployment and underemployment cause, the rising cost of childcare puts a substantial burden on many military families.

The Jobs and Childcare for Military Families Act would help these families in two ways. First, the bill makes military spouses an eligible population for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. This tax credit has been proven effective in improving the employment prospects for other groups, and extending it to military spouses would help them find employment easier after moving a new area. Second, the bill instructs the administration to implement dependent care flexible spending accounts for all servicemembers. These accounts which are widely available in the private sector would allow military families to contribute pre-tax dollars to accounts that they can then use to pay for childcare services, helping ease the financial burden of childcare.

I hope my colleagues will support this bill to help families who have made an incredible sacrifice for our nation. ______

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Murray, and Mr. Menendez):

S. 1535. A bill to designate as wilderness certain Federal portions of the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau and the Great Basin Deserts in the State of Utah for the benefit of present and future generations of people in the United States; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

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