NWLC Applauds Big Boost in Child Care Funding in 2020 Spending Bill. Other Provisions in Bill Undermine the Health and Equality of the Same Women Buoyed by the Child Care Wins

(Washington, D.C.) Today, Congress passed a 2020 spending bill that:

  • Provides over $1 billion in additional funding for child care and early learning, including an additional $550 million for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) that could serve up to 33,600 additional children.
  • Failed to include improvements to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), tax benefits that are especially important to women of color.
  • Failed to block the dangerous and ideological Title X gag rule
  • Failed to restore the District of Columbia’s ability to cover abortion care in its Medicaid program

The following is a statement from Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC):

“Congress should approve a budget that supports all aspects of a woman and her family’s life – not just pieces of it. The bill funds a xenophobic, racist border wall, and fails to fully address the dangerous actions of the Department of Homeland Security that are harming immigrant families across the country. The bill also undermines the dignity and equality of those who seek reproductive care – delivering yet another blow at a time when the Trump Administration and anti-abortion state legislatures are ruthlessly fighting to restrict access to care including abortion across the country.

“Providing over a billion dollars in new funding for child care and early learning is a necessary step in securing the investments we need to make child care for all a reality. But what remains clear is that other important protections and supports for women and our communities shouldn’t be negotiable. Congress must push for progress beyond child care to make sure everyone is given the opportunity to thrive.”

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For immediate release: December 20, 2019
Contact: LySaundra Campbell ([email protected])