Jobs and Economy

When I travel around Northwest Oregon, I often hear from parents who struggle to pay for child care—which in Oregon can cost as much as a year of college tuition. And in many places, families can’t find a child care center with a spot for their child or children. This was true before the pandemic, and now it’s even more challenging.

I've heard from parents who don't have access to paid family leave at work, and have to choose between caring for a new baby and earning a paycheck. The United States is one of the only industrialized countries without paid family leave for all, and Congress must do more to address the challenges facing our families.

Our economy will be stronger and people will be healthier when we acknowledge that families need policies that work for them, not against them. Equal pay for women, good wages, paid leave, and affordable child care and housing will better support families in Oregon and across the country. When we open the doors of opportunity to everyone, we all succeed.

One of my top priorities in Congress is to grow our economy and implement policies that create more jobs in Oregon and across the country. As a leader on the Education and Workforce Committee, I've introduced legislation to strengthen apprenticeships and paid, on-the-job training programs to provide workers with meaningful pathways to better paying jobs, and to connect businesses with workers who have the skills they need. I support the Raise the Wage Act, which would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 within four years and create a long-term path to secure further increases to the minimum wage. I also helped pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to help to address the pay gap and provide workers with the tools they need to achieve equal pay for equal work.