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. 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. 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 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 Labor 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 gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024. 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.
More on Jobs and Economy
Bonamici Leads 37 Bipartisan Members in Calling for $250M for Anti-Poverty Grants in COVID-19 Relief
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Millions of Americans received a stimulus check from the federal government. It's unclear if a second one could be coming. Lawmakers in Washington D.C. are kicking around different proposals, from monthly checks to a payroll tax rebate. There are no concrete plans for a second check yet, though.
The federal government has spent trillions of dollars to help dull the economic pain from the coronavirus pandemic, but some Democratic lawmakers say it’s not enough — and want to see monthly payments of $2,000 given to most Americans until the crisis begins to fade.
“Thank you, @RepTimRyan! I'm proud to join you,” Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, one of the new co-sponsors, wrote on Twitter on Saturday. “Monthly payments of at least $2,000 during this crisis will provide more security for many families in Oregon and across the country.”
Growing Seeds Learning Community has cared for thousands of young children in Portland since it opened its doors in 2004. Earlier this year, Growing Seeds North, the child care center’s largest outpost, was welcoming 160 students a day. That changed on March 23 when Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a statewide stay home order in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.