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The Congressional Dads Caucus will advance policies that uplift working families including paid family and medical leave, affordable childcare, and the Child Tax Credit.
Media Contact: Gomez Press Office, [email protected] | (202) 770-6934
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representatives Jimmy Gomez, Rashida Tlaib, Joaquin Castro, Andy Kim, Jamaal Bowman, Rob Menendez, Dan Goldman, Joe Neguse and advocates from Paid Leave For All, National Alliance for Caregiving, and Moms Rising held a press conference to launch the Congressional Dads Caucus.
The Congressional Dads Caucus will provide a forum for Members of Congress to advocate for legislation that supports working families. Caucus members believe in policy solutions that help working families thrive, including, paid family and medical leave policies for all parents, expanding the Child Tax Credit, increasing access to childcare, and other policies that reduce poverty and ease the burden on working parents.
In addition to supporting legislation that advance these solutions, the Caucus will host briefings and events designed to educate and inform Members of Congress and the public about the needs of working parents, including a national paid family and medical leave program and affordable childcare. These events will allow Members to interact with children and families directly to hear the stories of the challenges and opportunities they experience.
The founding members of the Congressional Dads Caucus include Representatives Jimmy Gomez, Rashida Tlaib, Joaquin Castro, Andy Kim, Jamaal Bowman, Rob Menendez, Dan Goldman and Joe Neguse.
“With immense pride, my colleagues and I are launching the first-ever Congressional Dads Caucus to advocate for the needs of working families,” said Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34). “The formation of this Caucus is rooted in a simple idea: Dads need to do our part in advancing policies that will make a difference in the lives of so many parents across the country. We’re fighting for a national paid family and medical leave program, affordable and high-quality childcare, and the expanded Child Tax Credit that cut child poverty by nearly half. This is how we set an equitable path forward for the next generation and build a brighter future for our children – including my five-month-old son, Hodge.”
“It is an honor to be a member of the newly-created Dads Caucus and I thank Congressman Jimmy Gomez for his leadership in creating this essential caucus,” said Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12). “As a founder of the Mama’s Caucus, I understand how important it is to support working parents and families in our communities. Fathers play a pivotal role in our lives, and in the lives of families across this country. The Dads Caucus will help ensure we are advancing legislation to provide families with paid leave, expand the Child Tax Credit, increase access to childcare, and working to implement policies that reduce poverty and assist vulnerable communities. Through our collective advocacy, we will fight for fathers across our country, uplift their voices, and ensure that their stories are told and their needs are met.”
“Historically, women legislators – especially mothers – have been the champions for paid leave, affordable childcare, and other policies that support working families. They deserve an extraordinary amount of credit, but they should also be able to count on male legislators to be partners in their fight from the beginning,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20). “As a father to three young children, I’m looking forward to using this caucus to help achieve real solutions that have eluded us in the past and improve the lives of families in San Antonio and across the nation.”
“The single biggest reason I ran for office and am working in Congress is because I’m a dad. I will do anything for my boys,” said Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03). “They and other kids deserve so much better than the chaos and challenges we face right now as a nation. I refuse to believe that my kids and everyone’s kids and grandkids are doomed to grow up in a divided America. If we can focus on lifting up our younger generations, I think we will see the blueprint for how we heal this country.”
“As the proud and loving father of my three beautiful children, I’m excited to join the Congressional Dads Caucus to celebrate the integral role of fatherhood and advocate for policy that really works for our families.” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman Ed.D (NY-16). “The needs and experiences of the millions of fathers across the country who work tirelessly for their kids, families, and communities should be central to policy making. Parents have been struggling for far too long. The Congressional Dads Caucus will work to implement paid parental leave for everyone, increase Child Tax Credit, expand access to affordable and high quality childcare, and provide more support for parents. As the richest country in the world we need to support our working families, not leave them behind, and I’m excited to see the Congressional Dads Caucus push that vision forward.”
“As a father to two amazing kids, I am proud to join the Congressional Dads Caucus,” said Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08). “Supporting families means ensuring that every family has the resources they need to succeed including paid family leave, childcare, an expanded Child Tax Credit, and other tools to meet the challenges of the day. It is our responsibility, as fathers, to advocate for and to support every family across America. I look forward to working with Rep. Gomez and our colleagues in the Caucus to do exactly that.”
“The Congressional Dads Caucus will work to highlight the many challenges American families are facing, and bring the lived experience of Congressional parents to bear in addressing them,” said Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10). As a father of five children, I’m proud to serve as a founding member of the Caucus, and look forward to elevating some of the many creative policy solutions for working families like comprehensive paid family leave, expanding the Child Tax Credit, increasing access to child care, and expanding early childhood education.”
“I applaud my colleagues in the Dads Caucus for fighting for needed policies for parents and families,” said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03). “Since 2013, I have introduced the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act to create a permanent, national paid family and medical leave program. I am also the sponsor of the American Family Act, which would make permanent our successful expansion of the Child Tax Credit. The expanded Child Tax Credit, which I helped make law under the American Rescue Plan, provided unprecedented financial stability for families and lifted millions of children out of poverty. It is policies like these that show House Democrats commitment to strengthening our economy by helping Americans with the rising cost of living.”
“Every one of us will need to give or receive care in our lifetimes, and paid family and medical leave will ensure that we can,” said Dawn Huckelbridge, Director of Paid Leave For All. “When fathers and caregivers have access to paid leave, it benefits their own health, financial security, and well-being, and it benefits the whole family. We’ve come closer than ever to finally passing paid leave for all in this country, and because of the momentum we’re gaining—with dads, moms, working families, small businesses, and champions like Representative Gomez and the Dads’ Caucus in Congress—we know we are close to a win.”
“There are 53 million Americans providing unpaid care for a loved one and millions are dads juggling childcare, work, and care for an older loved one,” said Jason Resendez, a new dad and President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. “The Congressional Dads Caucus will help shine a light on the challenges these caregivers face while championing family centered policies that can make care easier for all Americans like paid family and medical leave.”
“A fired up force of moms, joined by our allies in the new Congressional Dads Caucus, will shut down the noise, defeat the logjams, and continue the progress working families need,” said MomsRising Senior Vice President Ruth Martin. “Working together, we can make child care affordable, make paid family and medical leave accessible, make wages fair, and make it possible for hardworking families in this country to make ends meet. Moms and Dads, working together, will be an unstoppable force. MomsRising is thrilled to have the Congressional Dads Caucus leading with us in this work!”
“For decades, the National Partnership has worked to advance policies that help working families thrive — and end the discrimination they face in the workplace due to their caregiving responsibilities,” said Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “Today, we applaud Rep. Gomez and his colleagues as they launch the first ever Congressional Dads Caucus. These men are stepping up and sending an important message about the diversity of caregivers, and a reminder that dads provide care too. It is essential to move beyond old, outdated, gendered notions about caregivers and instead, adopt supportive policies that meet caregivers where they are. This caucus will help bring additional voices to the national conversation about care and demonstrate the urgent need for solutions that work for all people.”
“The National Women’s Law Center commends Congressman Jimmy Gomez on the creation of the Congressional Dads Caucus, and for recognizing the challenges that working families face every day,” said Angel Padilla, Vice President, Strategy & Policy, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). “For nearly three years, families have faced impossible situations thanks to the pandemic, inflation, job insecurity, a lack of access to child care, and more. But these challenges are not unique to the pandemic and have persisted for far too long without adequate solutions. We look forward to working with the Caucus to champion legislation around these issues that will engage fathers, help women re-enter the workforce, and reduce poverty among working families.”
Social media on the press conference can be found here.
