Walorski, Brady Announce Child Care and Paid Leave Package for Working Families

Press Release

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), the top Republican on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support, today joined Ways and Means Committee Republican Leader Kevin Brady (R-Texas) in unveiling an early draft of the Protecting Worker Paychecks and Family Choice Act to increase access to paid family and medical leave and affordable child care.

"Working families face many challenges balancing the demands of work with their needs at home," Congresswoman Walorski said. "They want good jobs, growing paychecks, access to child care, and paid leave that works for them -- not the tax hikes, job-killing mandates, and one-size-fits-all government programs Democrats are offering. Republicans' commonsense proposal will improve access to paid family leave and affordable child care in a way that puts working families first and keeps small businesses on the path to rebuilding our economy."

"Republicans' approach to child care and paid leave puts families and Main Street businesses first, while Democrats' one-size-fits-all socialist solution gives Washington control," Rep. Brady said. "By putting the IRS in charge of your time off and child care, Democrats' path will leave you with lower paychecks for life, less choice, fewer jobs, and greater hardships. Republicans' proposal shows a bipartisan way to build on the proven success of pro-growth tax reform's family-centered policies."

Walorski today spoke about the legislation at a subcommittee hearing on expanding access to paid family leave and child care. Video of Walorski's remarks can be found here.

BACKGROUND

The Protecting Worker Paychecks and Family Choice Act would provide greater flexibility and choice to parents while focusing the greatest benefits to low-wage workers. It includes legislation introduced by Walorski to allow working families to contribute more to an employer-sponsored dependent care flexible spending account (FSA), roll over unused funds at the end of the year, and use the funds for expenses such as adoption, tutoring, sports activities, and art and music programs.

The proposal would expand access to paid family and medical leave by incentivizing more employers to provide leave and focusing on gaps in coverage.

Preserve what's working by allowing workers and employers to work out the details.
Expand the employer-provided paid family and medical leave tax credit and create new family savings accounts.
Incentivize and reduce costs for small employers to offer paid family leave to their employees by providing more generous tax credits and paving the way for pooling and cost sharing.
Target policies to low-wage workers, who are least likely to receive paid leave through their employers.
It would also expand access to affordable child care by leveraging the existing $50 billion in new investments, targeting funds, and preserving parent choice.

Improve flexibility for families using dependent care flexible spending accounts.
Improve the employer-provided child care tax credit to provide flexibility for workers and more generous credits for small employers.
Increase parent choice to best fit their child's needs, prevent the child care "cliff" for low-income parents, and better target existing funds to states with higher concentrations of children in poverty.
Provide states with new options to increase supply of care and more time to use $50 billion in new funding provided since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that hasn't yet made it to local communities and families.
Create a bipartisan commission to make recommendations to Congress on streamlining and reducing duplication in financing of federal early care and education programs.
Click here to read the full discussion draft text. Click here for a section-by-section summary.

Walorski represents the 2nd Congressional District of Indiana, serving as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Ranking Member of the House Ethics Committee.

Source