NWLC Reacts to 2023 Omnibus Spending Bill

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

“The omnibus funding bill announced today is a reflection of the state of women and girls in this country over the last two years: a mixed bag of major wins that fail to cancel out devastating, regressive losses. Congress began its session in 2021 by responding quickly and boldly to a once-in-a-century pandemic and economic crisis, providing desperately needed support to women, children, and families. Now, at the end of its session, it stands poised to pass a $1.7 spending bill that makes unprecedented investments to programs directly affecting women and families, including a nearly $2 billion increase to the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). However, it leaves out essential provisions like the Child Tax Credit and Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA).

“Despite bipartisan support from 315 House Members, PWFA has languished in the Senate for 586 days awaiting floor time, and now faces an eleventh-hour block by extremist senators. If Congress fails to pass this bill by the end of the year, the message to pregnant women will be unmistakable: you are not a priority.

“Make no mistake that beyond what’s in this spending package, women –particularly Black and brown women – are tired of being forever at the mercy of the changing political winds in Congress. We will continue to demand from our elected officials the freedom to thrive, to self-determine, to live our full lives with dignity and respect – we deserve nothing less and so much more.”