Education
The child care crisis is being felt around the country, leading legislators to take action. On March 16, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici reintroduced the Child Care Is Infrastructure Act, which would establish loan and grant programs for child care facilities and early-childhood educators.
"The full 'three martini lunch deduction' is not the most effective use of taxpayer dollars, and it's time we repurpose these funds," said Representative Peter Meijer, a Republican from Michigan who co-sponsored the bill with Representative Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat from Oregon, in a statement.
However, they are more expensive than a diesel bus. But Bonamici says in the long run, districts could end up saving more money. "Even though the initial investment is more. It's a good investment. They're not buying the fuel that they have to buy for the diesel buses and they won't have the same maintenance costs," she said.
They described Johnson's work as "a great mixture of contemporary and traditional techniques," according to a press release by the office of U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a Beaverton Democrat. Johnson received an honorable mention for the competition in 2019.
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici has released a detailed list of how much each public and private institution will get starting May 11. The plan specifies that half the amount is reserved for emergency grants to students.
"I appreciate that Clara's piece thoughtfully examines anti-immigrant bias and the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, and is beautifully executed," said Bonamici in a statement. "She is incredibly talented, and I'm glad she has shared her excellent work by participating in the Congressional Art Competition."
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Beaverton, who sits on the House Education and Labor Committee, is a leading voice for child care, having set up her own advisory panel on the issue. She said the current system was broken even before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic forced many day care centers and homes to curtail the number of children they see — or even close down entirely.