[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 134 (Wednesday, July 29, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H3897-H3908]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CHILD CARE IS ESSENTIAL ACT

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1053, I call 
up the bill (H.R. 7027) making additional supplemental appropriations 
for disaster relief requirements for the fiscal year ending September 
30, 2020, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McGovern). Pursuant to House Resolution 
1053, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text 
of Rules Committee Print 116-58 is adopted and the bill, as amended, is 
considered read.
  The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:

                               H.R. 7027

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,
       The following sums in this Act are appropriated, out of any 
     money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other 
     purposes, namely:

            TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

                Administration for Children and Families

   payments to states for the child care and development block grant

       For an additional amount for ``Payments to States for the 
     Child Care and Development Block Grant'', $50,000,000,000, to 
     remain available until September 30, 2021, for necessary 
     expenses to carry out the Child Care Stabilization Fund 
     grants program, as authorized by section 1 of this Act:  
     Provided, That such funds shall be available without regard 
     to the requirements in subparagraphs (C) through (E) of 
     section 658E(c)(3) or section 658G of the Child Care and 
     Development Block Grant Act:  Provided further, That funds 
     appropriated under this heading in this Act may be made 
     available to restore amounts, either directly or through 
     reimbursement, for obligations incurred prior to the date of 
     enactment of this Act for the purposes provided herein:  
     Provided further, That such amount is designated by the 
     Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
     Deficit Control Act of 1985 and shall be available only if 
     the President subsequently so designates such amount and 
     transmits such designation to the Congress.


                     child care stabilization fund

       Sec. 1.  (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) CCDBG terms.--The terms ``eligible child care 
     provider'', ``Indian tribe'', ``lead agency'', ``tribal 
     organization'', ``Secretary'', and ``State'' have the 
     meanings given the terms in section 658P of the Child Care 
     and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n) 
     except as otherwise provided in this section.
       (2) COVID-19 public health emergency.--The term ``COVID-19 
     public health emergency'' means the public health emergency 
     declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under 
     section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) 
     on January 31, 2020, with respect to COVID-19, including any 
     renewal of the declaration.
       (b) Grants.--From the amounts appropriated to carry out 
     this section and under the authority of section 658O of the 
     Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
     9858m) and this section, the Secretary shall award child care 
     stabilization grants to the lead agency of each State (as 
     defined in that section 658O), territory described in 
     subsection (a)(1) of such section, Indian tribe, and tribal 
     organization from allotments and payments made under 
     subsection (c)(2), not later than 30 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act.
       (c) Secretarial Reservation and Allotments.--
       (1) Reservation.--The Secretary shall reserve not more than 
     1 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out this section 
     for the Federal administration of grants described in 
     subsection (b).
       (2) Allotments.--The Secretary shall use the remainder of 
     the funds appropriated to carry out this section to award 
     allotments to States, as defined in section 658O of the Child 
     Care Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858m), 
     and payments to territories, Indian tribes, and tribal 
     organizations in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
     subsection (a), and subsection (b), of section 658O of the 
     Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
     9858m).
       (d) State Reservations and Subgrants.--

[[Page H3898]]

       (1) Reservation.--A lead agency for a State that receives a 
     child care stabilization grant pursuant to subsection (b) 
     shall reserve not more than 10 percent of such grant funds--
       (A) to administer subgrants made to qualified child care 
     providers under paragraph (2), including to carry out data 
     systems building and other activities that enable the 
     disbursement of payments of such subgrants;
       (B) to provide technical assistance and support in applying 
     for and accessing the subgrant opportunity under paragraph 
     (2), to eligible child care providers (including to family 
     child care providers, group home child care providers, and 
     other non-center-based child care providers and providers 
     with limited administrative capacity), either directly or 
     through resource and referral agencies or staffed family 
     child care networks;
       (C) to publicize the availability of subgrants under this 
     section and conduct widespread outreach to eligible child 
     care providers, including family child care providers, group 
     home child care providers, and other non-center-based child 
     care providers and providers with limited administrative 
     capacity, either directly or through resource and referral 
     agencies or staffed family child care networks, to ensure 
     eligible child care providers are aware of the subgrants 
     available under this section;
       (D) to carry out the reporting requirements described in 
     subsection (f); and
       (E) to carry out activities to improve the supply and 
     qualify of child care during and after the COVID-19 public 
     health emergency, such as conducting community needs 
     assessments, carrying out child care cost modeling, making 
     improvements to child care facilities, increasing access to 
     licensure or participation in the State's tiered quality 
     rating system, and carrying out other activities described in 
     section 658G(b) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant 
     Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858e(b)), to the extent that the lead 
     agency can carry out activities described in this 
     subparagraph without preventing the lead agency from fully 
     conducting the activities described in subparagraphs (A) 
     through (D).
       (2) Subgrants to qualified child care providers.--
       (A) In general.--The lead agency shall use the remainder of 
     the grant funds awarded pursuant to subsection (b) to make 
     subgrants to qualified child care providers described in 
     subparagraph (B), to support the stability of the child care 
     sector during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. 
     The lead agency shall provide the subgrant funds in advance 
     of provider expenditures for costs described in subsection 
     (e), except as provided in subsection (e)(2).
       (B) Qualified child care provider.--To be qualified to 
     receive a subgrant under this paragraph, a provider shall be 
     an eligible child care provider that--
       (i) was providing child care services on or before March 1, 
     2020; and
       (ii) on the date of submission of an application for the 
     subgrant, was either--

       (I) open and available to provide child care services; or
       (II) closed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

       (C) Subgrant amount.--The lead agency shall make subgrants, 
     from amounts awarded pursuant to subsection (b), to qualified 
     child care providers, and the amount of such a subgrant to 
     such a provider shall--
       (i) be based on the provider's stated average operating 
     expenses during the period (of not longer than 6 months) 
     before March 1, 2020 and at minimum cover such operating 
     expenses for the intended length of the subgrant;
       (ii) account for increased costs of providing or preparing 
     to provide child care as a result of the COVID-19 public 
     health emergency, such as provider and employee compensation 
     and existing benefits (existing as of March 1, 2020) and the 
     implementation of new practices related to sanitization, 
     group size limits, and social distancing;
       (iii) be adjusted for payments or reimbursements made to an 
     eligible child care provider to carry out the Child Care and 
     Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) 
     or the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.); and
       (iv) be adjusted for payments or reimbursements made to an 
     eligible child care provider through the Paycheck Protection 
     Program set forth in section 7(a)(36) of the Small Business 
     Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(36)), as added by section 1102 of the 
     Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (Public 
     Law 116-136).
       (D) Application.--
       (i) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a subgrant 
     under this paragraph, a child care provider shall submit an 
     application to a lead agency at such time and in such manner 
     as the lead agency may require. Such application shall 
     include--

       (I) a good-faith certification that the ongoing operations 
     of the child care provider have been impacted as a result of 
     the COVID-19 public health emergency;
       (II) for a provider described in subparagraph (B)(ii)(I), 
     an assurance that, for the duration of the COVID-19 public 
     health emergency--

       (aa) the provider will give priority for available slots 
     (including slots that are only temporarily available) to--
       (AA) children of essential workers (such as health care 
     sector employees, emergency responders, sanitation workers, 
     farmworkers, child care employees, and other workers 
     determined to be essential during the response to coronavirus 
     by public officials), children of workers whose places of 
     employment require their attendance, children experiencing 
     homelessness, children with disabilities, children at risk of 
     child abuse or neglect, and children in foster care, in 
     States where stay-at-home or related orders are in effect; or
       (BB) children of workers whose places of employment require 
     their attendance, children experiencing homelessness, 
     children with disabilities, children at risk of child abuse 
     or neglect, children in foster care, and children whose 
     parents are in school or a training program, in States where 
     stay-at-home or related orders are not in effect;
       (bb) the provider will implement policies in line with 
     guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     and the corresponding State and local authorities, and in 
     accordance with State and local orders, for child care 
     providers that remain open, including guidance on 
     sanitization practices, group size limits, and social 
     distancing;
       (cc) for each employee, the provider will pay the full 
     compensation described in subsection (e)(1)(C), including any 
     benefits, that was provided to the employee as of March 1, 
     2020 (referred to in this clause as ``full compensation''), 
     and will not take any action that reduces the weekly amount 
     of the employee's compensation below the weekly amount of 
     full compensation, or that reduces the employee's rate of 
     compensation below the rate of full compensation; and
       (dd) the provider will provide relief from copayments and 
     tuition payments for the families enrolled in the provider's 
     program and prioritize such relief for families struggling to 
     make either type of payments;

       (III) for a provider described in subparagraph (B)(ii)(II), 
     an assurance that--

       (aa) for the duration of the provider's closure due to the 
     COVID-19 public health emergency, for each employee, the 
     provider will pay full compensation, and will not take any 
     action that reduces the weekly amount of the employee's 
     compensation below the weekly amount of full compensation, or 
     that reduces the employee's rate of compensation below the 
     rate of full compensation;
       (bb) children enrolled as of March 1, 2020, will maintain 
     their slots, unless their families choose to disenroll the 
     children;
       (cc) for the duration of the provider's closure due to the 
     COVID-19 public health emergency, the provider will provide 
     relief from copayments and tuition payments for the families 
     enrolled in the provider's program and prioritize such relief 
     for families struggling to make either type of payments; and
       (dd) the provider will resume operations when the provider 
     is able to safely implement policies in line with guidance 
     from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the 
     corresponding State and local authorities, and in accordance 
     with State and local orders;

       (IV) information about the child care provider's--

       (aa) program characteristics sufficient to allow the lead 
     agency to establish the child care provider's priority 
     status, as described in subparagraph (F);
       (bb) program operational status on the date of submission 
     of the application;
       (cc) type of program, including whether the program is a 
     center-based child care, family child care, group home child 
     care, or other non-center-based child care type program;
       (dd) total enrollment on the date of submission of the 
     application and total capacity as allowed by the State; and
       (ee) receipt of assistance, and amount of assistance, 
     through a payment or reimbursement described in subparagraph 
     (C)(iv), and the time period for which the assistance was 
     made;

       (V) information necessary to determine the amount of the 
     subgrant, such as information about the provider's stated 
     average operating expenses over the period before March 1, 
     2020, described in subparagraph (C)(i); and
       (VI) such other limited information as the lead agency 
     shall determine to be necessary to make subgrants to 
     qualified child care providers.

       (ii) Frequency.--The lead agency shall accept and process 
     applications submitted under this subparagraph on a rolling 
     basis.
       (iii) Updates.--The lead agency shall--

       (I) at least once a month, verify by obtaining a self-
     attestation from each qualified child care provider that 
     received such a subgrant from the agency, whether the 
     provider is open and available to provide child care services 
     or is closed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency;
       (II) allow the qualified child care provider to update the 
     information provided in a prior application; and
       (III) adjust the qualified child care provider's subgrant 
     award as necessary, based on changes to the application 
     information, including changes to the provider's operational 
     status.

       (iv) Existing applications.--If a lead agency has 
     established and implemented a grant program for child care 
     providers that is in effect on the date of enactment of this 
     Act, and an eligible child care provider has already 
     submitted an application for such a grant to the lead agency 
     containing the information specified in clause (i), the lead 
     agency shall treat that application as an application 
     submitted under this subparagraph. If an eligible child care 
     provider has already submitted such an application containing 
     part of the information specified in clause (i), the provider 
     may submit to the lead agency an abbreviated application that 
     contains the remaining information, and the lead agency shall 
     treat the 2 applications as an application submitted under 
     this subparagraph.
       (E) Materials.--
       (i) In general.--The lead agency shall provide the 
     materials and other resources related to such subgrants, 
     including a notification of subgrant opportunities and 
     application materials, to qualified child care providers in 
     the most commonly spoken languages in the State.
       (ii) Application.--The application shall be accessible on 
     the website of the lead agency within 30 days after the lead 
     agency receives

[[Page H3899]]

     grant funds awarded pursuant to subsection (b) and shall be 
     accessible to all eligible child care providers, including 
     family child care providers, group home child care providers, 
     and other non-center-based child care providers and providers 
     with limited administrative capacity.
       (F) Priority.--In making subgrants under this section, the 
     lead agency shall give priority to qualified child care 
     providers that, prior to or on March 1, 2020--
       (i) provided child care during nontraditional hours;
       (ii) served dual language learners, children with 
     disabilities, children experiencing homelessness, children in 
     foster care, children from low-income families, or infants 
     and toddlers;
       (iii) served a high proportion of children whose families 
     received subsidies under the Child Care and Development Block 
     Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) for the child 
     care; or
       (iv) operated in communities, including rural communities, 
     with a low supply of child care.
       (G) Providers receiving other assistance.--The lead agency, 
     in determining whether a provider is a qualified child care 
     provider, shall not take into consideration receipt of a 
     payment or reimbursement described in subparagraph (C)(iii) 
     or subparagraph (C)(iv).
       (H) Awards.--The lead agency shall equitably make subgrants 
     under this paragraph to center-based child care providers, 
     family child care providers, group home child care providers, 
     and other non-center-based child care providers, such that 
     qualified child care providers are able to access the 
     subgrant opportunity under this paragraph regardless of the 
     providers' setting, size, or administrative capacity.
       (I) Obligation.--The lead agency shall obligate at least 50 
     percent of funds available to carry out this section for 
     subgrants described in this paragraph, by December 31, 2020.
       (e) Uses of Funds.--
       (1) In general.--A qualified child care provider that 
     receives funds through such a subgrant may use the funds for 
     the costs of--
       (A) payroll;
       (B) employee benefits, including group health plan benefits 
     during periods of paid sick, medical, or family leave, and 
     insurance premiums;
       (C) employee salaries or similar compensation, including 
     any income or other compensation to a sole proprietor or 
     independent contractor that is a wage, commission, income, 
     net earnings from self-employment, or similar compensation;
       (D) payment on any mortgage obligation;
       (E) rent (including rent under a lease agreement);
       (F) utilities;
       (G) insurance;
       (H) providing premium pay for child care providers and 
     other employees who provide services during the COVID-19 
     public health emergency;
       (I) sanitization and other costs associated with cleaning;
       (J) personal protective equipment and other equipment 
     necessary to carry out the functions of the child care 
     provider;
       (K) training and professional development related to health 
     and safety practices, including the proper implementation of 
     policies in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention and the corresponding State and local 
     authorities, and in accordance with State and local orders;
       (L) modifications to child care services as a result of the 
     COVID-19 public health emergency, such as limiting group 
     sizes, adjusting staff-to-child ratios, and implementing 
     other heightened health and safety measures;
       (M) mental health supports for children and employees; and
       (N) other goods and services necessary to maintain or 
     resume operation of the child care program, or to maintain 
     the viability of the child care provider as a going concern 
     during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency.
       (2) Reimbursement.--The qualified child care provider may 
     use the subgrant funds to reimburse the provider for sums 
     obligated or expended before the date of enactment of this 
     Act for the cost of a good or service described in paragraph 
     (1) to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
       (f) Reporting.--
       (1) Initial report.--A lead agency receiving a grant under 
     this section shall, within 60 days after making the agency's 
     first subgrant under subsection (d)(2) to a qualified child 
     care provider, submit a report to the Secretary that 
     includes--
       (A) data on qualified child care providers that applied for 
     subgrants and qualified child care providers that received 
     such subgrants, including--
       (i) the number of such applicants and the number of such 
     recipients;
       (ii) the number and proportion of such applicants and 
     recipients that received priority and the characteristic or 
     characteristics of such applicants and recipients associated 
     with the priority;
       (iii) the number and proportion of such applicants and 
     recipients that are--

       (I) center-based child care providers;
       (II) family child care providers;
       (III) group home child care providers; or
       (IV) other non-center-based child care providers; and

       (iv) within each of the groups listed in clause (iii), the 
     number of such applicants and recipients that are, on the 
     date of submission of the application--

       (I) open and available to provide child care services; or
       (II) closed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency;

       (B) the total capacity of child care providers that are 
     licensed, regulated, or registered in the State on the date 
     of the submission of the report;
       (C) a description of--
       (i) the efforts of the lead agency to publicize the 
     availability of subgrants under this section and conduct 
     widespread outreach to eligible child care providers about 
     such subgrants, including efforts to make materials available 
     in languages other than English;
       (ii) the lead agency's methodology for determining amounts 
     of subgrants under subsection (d)(2);
       (iii) the lead agency's timeline for disbursing the 
     subgrant funds; and
       (iv) the lead agency's plan for ensuring that qualified 
     child care providers that receive funding through such a 
     subgrant comply with assurances described in subsection 
     (d)(2)(D) and use funds in compliance with subsection (e); 
     and
       (D) such other limited information as the Secretary may 
     require.
       (2) Quarterly report.--The lead agency shall, following the 
     submission of such initial report, submit to the Secretary a 
     report that contains the information described in 
     subparagraphs (A), (B), and (D) of paragraph (1) once a 
     quarter until all funds allotted for activities authorized 
     under this section are expended.
       (3) Final report.--Not later than 60 days after a lead 
     agency receiving a grant under this section has obligated all 
     of the grant funds (including funds received under subsection 
     (h)), the lead agency shall submit a report to the Secretary, 
     in such manner as the Secretary may require, that includes--
       (A) the total number of eligible child care providers who 
     were providing child care services on or before March 1, 
     2020, in the State and the number of such providers that 
     submitted an application under subsection (d)(2)(D);
       (B) the number of qualified child care providers in the 
     State that received funds through the grant;
       (C) the lead agency's methodology for determining amounts 
     of subgrants under subsection (d)(2);
       (D) the average and range of the subgrant amounts by 
     provider type (center-based child care, family child care, 
     group home child care, or other non-center-based child care 
     provider);
       (E) the percentages of the child care providers that 
     received such a subgrant, that, on or before March 1, 2020--
       (i) provided child care during nontraditional hours;
       (ii) served dual language learners, children with 
     disabilities, children experiencing homelessness, children in 
     foster care, children from low-income families, or infants 
     and toddlers;
       (iii) served a high proportion of children whose families 
     received subsidies under the Child Care and Development Block 
     Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) for the child 
     care; and
       (iv) operated in communities, including rural communities, 
     with a low supply of child care;
       (F) the number of children served by the child care 
     providers that received such a subgrant, for the duration of 
     the subgrant;
       (G) the percentages, of the child care providers that 
     received such a subgrant, that are--
       (i) center-based child care providers;
       (ii) family child care providers;
       (iii) group home child care providers; or
       (iv) other non-center-based child care providers;
       (H) the percentages, of the child care providers listed in 
     subparagraph (G) that are, on the date of submission of the 
     application--
       (i) open and available to provide child care services; or
       (ii) closed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency;
       (I) information about how child care providers used the 
     funds received under such a subgrant;
       (J) information about how the lead agency used funds 
     reserved under subsection (d)(1); and
       (K) information about how the subgrants helped to stabilize 
     the child care sector.
       (4) Reports to congress.--
       (A) Findings from initial reports.--Not later than 60 days 
     after receiving all reports required to be submitted under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide a report to the 
     Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
     Representatives, to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor 
     and Pensions of the Senate, and to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
     Senate, summarizing the findings from the reports received 
     under paragraph (1).
       (B) Findings from final reports.--Not later than 36 months 
     after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
     provide a report to the Committee on Education and Labor of 
     the House of Representatives, to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor and Pensions of the Senate, and to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives 
     and the Senate, summarizing the findings from the reports 
     received under paragraph (3).
       (g) Supplement Not Supplant.--Amounts made available to 
     carry out this section shall be used to supplement and not 
     supplant other Federal, State, and local public funds 
     expended to provide child care services for eligible 
     individuals, including funds provided under the Child Care 
     and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et 
     seq.) and State child care programs.
       (h) Reallotment of Unobligated Funds.--
       (1) Unobligated funds.--A State, Indian tribe, or tribal 
     organization shall return to the Secretary any grant funds 
     received under this section that the State, Indian tribe, or 
     tribal organization does not obligate by September 30, 2021.
       (2) Reallotment.--The Secretary shall award new allotments 
     and payments, in accordance with subsection (c)(2), to 
     covered States, Indian tribes, or tribal organizations from 
     funds that are returned under paragraph (1) within 60 days of 
     receiving such funds. Funds made available through the new 
     allotments and payments shall remain available to each 
     covered State, Indian tribe, or tribal organization until 
     September 30, 2022.

[[Page H3900]]

       (3) Covered state, indian tribe, or tribal organization.--
     For purposes of paragraph (2), a covered State, Indian tribe, 
     or tribal organization is a State, Indian tribe, or tribal 
     organization that received an allotment or payment under this 
     section and was not required to return grant funds under 
     paragraph (1).
       (i) Exceptions.--The Child Care and Development Block Grant 
     Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.), excluding requirements 
     in subparagraphs (C) through (E) of section 658E(c)(3), 
     section 658G, and section 658J(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     9858c(c)(3), 9858e, 9858h(c)), shall apply to child care 
     services provided under this section to the extent the 
     application of such Act does not conflict with the provisions 
     of this section. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
     require a State to submit an application, other than the 
     application described in section 658E or 658O(c) of the Child 
     Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
     9858c, 9858m(c)), to receive a grant under this Act.
       (j) Authorization of Appropriation.--
       (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this Act $50,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2020.
       (2) Application.--In carrying out the Child Care and 
     Development Block Grant Act of 1990 with funds other than the 
     funds appropriated under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
     calculate the amounts of appropriated funds described in 
     subsections (a) and (b) of section 658O of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 9858m) by excluding funds appropriated under paragraph 
     (1).
       Sec. 2.  Each amount appropriated or made available by this 
     Act is in addition to any amounts otherwise appropriated for 
     the fiscal year involved.
       Sec. 3.  Unless otherwise provided for by this Act, the 
     additional amounts appropriated by this Act to appropriations 
     accounts shall be available under the authorities and 
     conditions applicable to such appropriations accounts for 
     fiscal year 2020.
        This Act may be cited as the ``Child Care Is Essential 
     Act''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 
1 hour, equally divided among and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations and the chair and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Labor.
  The gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Granger), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), and the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) each will control 15 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of my bill to save the 
childcare industry: The Child Care Is Essential Act.
  Let me recognize my colleagues who join me here this morning, 
especially the Chair of the Committee on Education and Labor, Chairman  
Bobby Scott.
  To make clear our fight and our purpose, I quote The Washington Post 
from July 4.
  The title of the piece: ``Lack of childcare slowing recovery. Working 
Parents Swamped At Home. Productivity slump pinned on school, center 
closures.''
  ``The childcare crunch triggered by the pandemic has rapidly become a 
crisis for many workers and companies that is hindering the economic 
recovery, disproportionately harming women and threatening to leave 
deep scars for years to come.''
  The Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations 
Subcommittee has been central to our response to this pandemic and has 
provided much-needed funding to deal with the crisis--providing $3.5 
billion for childcare in the CARES Act, and $7 billion in the House-
passed HEROES Act.
  But, to be frank, $7 billion in the HEROES Act is not enough to save 
the childcare sector. It could take at least $9.6 billion per month to 
keep current childcare providers in business. This is a crisis. More 
than half of childcare programs could close if we do not act quickly.
  The biggest worry of the providers in my State of Connecticut are the 
loss of revenue, how to pay non-payroll business expenses, and they are 
concerned that families will not return after the public health 
emergency. Affordable childcare was a significant and a severe issue 
before the pandemic and will be after this pandemic is over.
  This is not about going back to normal. We cannot afford to do that 
either. If we cannot make families feel safe that their kids are going 
to be in a safe and secure environment, we are not going to get our 
economy back on track. Parents are not going to send their children to 
unsafe places or they have no place to send them.
  Mr. Speaker, the Childcare Is Essential Act creates a $50 billion 
childcare stabilization fund within the existing Childcare and 
Development Block Grant Program. The bill provides grant funding to 
childcare providers to stabilize the sector and support providers so 
that they can be safely reopening and running.
  This legislation helps childcare providers and working families by:
  Ensuring that the grants adequately support providers' operating 
expenses and funding gets to them quickly;
  Requires that providers continue to pay their staff;
  Providing tuition and copayment relief for working families;
  Promote health and safety through compliance with public health 
guidance;
  Prioritize providers that serve underserved populations;
  Ensuring grants are awarded equitably across childcare settings; and
  Conducting oversight through robust reporting requirements.
  Mr. Speaker, we bailed out the airlines--almost $60 billion--and we 
thought that that was necessary to do for our economy.
  Corporations have received $522 billion for PPP loans, and we knew 
that that was important to undergird our economy.
  Hedge fund managers and real estate developers got a $135 billion tax 
break completely unrelated to the pandemic. We did not need that.
  We need to save the childcare industry. It is a matter of values, of 
right and wrong, and it is a matter of the values of who we believe 
needs to be protected: Our children? Our families? Or special 
interests?
  It is a matter of economic security for women and families, and lack 
of childcare has been cited as a reason why women are still highly 
reflected in the unemployment rolls.
  Small businesses are concerned. One half of all essential workers in 
this country are women. Who are the essential workers? Grocery store 
workers, public transport, cleaning and sanitation, healthcare, retail 
workers. They have to go to work. Where do they put their kids?
  And it is a matter of addressing racial disparities, which this virus 
has further exposed, particularly when providers in communities of 
color continue to struggle to access small business loans, like those 
through the PPP because of systemic discrimination in banking 
practices, the wealth gap, higher debt. We must help now.
  Mr. Speaker, to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I say: Let 
us move boldly in this historic moment for women, for families, for 
children, for small businesses, for communities of color. Let us 
stabilize the childcare sector. Childcare is essential. There is no 
reopening of our economy without it. So let us provide that $50 billion 
today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition of H.R. 7027. As the country 
navigates the ongoing reality of the coronavirus pandemic, childcare is 
one of the most important issues we have to resolve. Congress must 
put childcare solutions in place to help working families address their 
needs, but this bill before us is not the answer.

  This bill would appropriate $50 billion for the childcare industry--
more than its entire annual revenue. Overly burdensome and complicated 
application requirements would accompany those funds. This means 
providers would spend their time on applications and reporting 
requirements rather than caring for the children and keeping them safe. 
The bill creates unnecessary confusion by requiring providers to follow 
CDC guidance and that of their State and local governments even when 
those requirements may conflict.
  The Committee on Appropriations has had no hearings or markups to 
consider this bill. There has been no input from the minority, and 
there is no opportunity today for amendments. Unfortunately, the 
majority has yet again used this crisis as an opportunity to push 
through partisan policy proposals instead of working together to 
address the very real challenges we face. We can and we must do better 
than the bills we are considering today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H3901]]

  



                             General Leave

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
New Jersey (Ms. Sherrill).
  Ms. SHERRILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman DeLauro for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am here today not just as a representative of New 
Jersey's 11th District, but also as a working mom with four children--a 
mom who knows how important childcare is for our families, our 
businesses, and our communities.
  I have long said it is critical to have women serving in Congress to 
legislate on these important issues, and it has been my own 
experience--as I try to ensure that my children are doing their 
schoolwork while I am attending Zoom meetings, conference calls, and 
working to serve the families throughout the 11th District--that has 
led me to call experts to discuss the challenges to providing safe 
childcare during the pandemic.
  It is my experience now, as I try to piece together childcare between 
my husband and my two sisters and myself, and trying to come down to 
Washington to vote, that informs my understanding of what is going on 
across the Nation.
  Before the pandemic, 5 million children and their families relied on 
childcare. How we address this childcare crisis will have deep 
reverberations throughout our economy and on the health and safety of 
our families and our workers. Without the proper support for childcare 
to open safely and effectively, there will be no real reopening for 
much of the workforce.
  Without proper childcare options, that means childcare facilities 
that have the money to implement health and safety precautions 
necessary to protect children and workers, women will be forced to 
choose between staying home or going back to work. If childcare is 
scarce or feels unsafe, moms will be staying home in the vast majority 
of cases.
  In fact, an economist at Northwestern University who studies the 
gendered impact of the pandemic, noted that 19 million children live in 
single-parent households, 70 percent of which are led by single moms. 
If women have to leave the workforce or cut back hours, these decisions 
will have long-lasting impacts on the future of their careers, salary, 
promotions, equitable pay, and the economic security of their families.
  I have heard from leaders in research institutions who have said that 
while men are submitting research papers at a faster clip than ever, 
their female counterparts have not. They attribute this to the burden 
of childcare that rests on women without access to childcare services.

                              {time}  1130

  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Ms. Wexton).
  Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support today for the Child 
Care Is Essential Act.
  As a working mom, I know that finding quality, affordable childcare 
is not easy even under the best of circumstances, but the strain of 
COVID-19 has pushed the childcare industry to the brink of collapse.
  Nearly half of all childcare providers have closed at some point 
during this pandemic, and those that have reopened are facing increased 
costs to implement new safety measures, including reduced capacity, 
intense and frequent disinfecting and cleaning, and the purchase of PPE 
for providers. Without immediate financial support, many are at risk of 
closing permanently.
  Congress and this administration must recognize there cannot be a 
strong and full economic recovery without access to quality, affordable 
childcare for working families.
  This important bill will create a $50 billion childcare stabilization 
fund and invest in childcare across our country to ensure that 
providers have the resources they need to safely reopen. The Child Care 
Is Essential Act would bring an estimated $985 million to my home State 
of Virginia to keep childcare providers open and their employees on 
payroll.
  Parents simply cannot return to work if they can't find childcare. We 
are facing a crisis, and Congress must take decisive action on behalf 
of the working families and parents in America.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the Child 
Care Is Essential Act.
  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Panetta).
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Child Care 
Is Essential Act, a bill that will help childcare centers stay open 
through this pandemic and help us reopen our economy.
  For almost 5 months now, families have struggled to balance work and 
childcare. Meanwhile, essential workers, including farmworkers, 
healthcare workers, police, and firefighters, rely on childcare for 
their families and for them to do their jobs.
  But as this pandemic continues, it gets more difficult for childcare 
providers to keep their doors open. Just 29 percent of childcare and 
education centers in Monterey County in my district are currently open 
and operating. Without help from the Federal Government, our childcare 
centers will have to close, and our essential workers will be unable to 
serve our communities.
  That is why I urge my colleagues to vote for the Child Care Is 
Essential Act, because, with these grants to childcare providers, they 
can stay open and safely operate during this pandemic but also play a 
critical part in our Nation's rebuilding and recovery.
  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, can I inquire about the amount of time 
remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Connecticut has 5 
minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from Texas has 13\1/2\ minutes 
remaining.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an extraordinary time in our Nation's history. 
We are watching families today who are in the most serious economic and 
healthcare crises of their lives. What this pandemic has exposed are 
the serious, serious inequities that exist, the racial inequities that 
exist.
  What is becoming clear, from my colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle, is that there are two classes of people. We have essential 
workers, who I pointed out are the grocery workers, the transit 
workers, the sanitation people, the retail workers who clock in and out 
every single day and who have to be on the job, and they have been told 
if they don't show up, they don't get paid. But they have kids; they 
have families.
  What is the main responsibility of a parent? The pride you take in 
making sure that your children are safe, that they are secure, that you 
are doing all you can for them to be able to survive.
  So, what is your choice? Leave your kid by themselves? You can't take 
them to work. You know, I had a lengthy conversation, almost 2 hours, 
on the phone with farmworkers in our country. Know what they do without 
access to childcare? They leave their kids home alone, or they take 
them to the fields.
  Who are we? This is the United States of America. Where are our 
values? What do we care most about?
  Let me just tell you about that $135 billion that is in the CARES 
bill. I will just say that the Democrats took it out in the HEROES 
bill. But as I see the bill that our Republicans colleagues put forward 
in the last 24 hours, it is still in there. It is a tax break for 
43,000 people in this country, and they get a $1.6 million tax cut. 
They claw back to 2018, 2019. No one knew the word ``coronavirus'' in 
2018 and 2019. It has nothing to do with this pandemic.
  I will mention those essential workers again to you today because 
there are 17.9 million children under the age of 13. Their parents are 
frontline workers, as I have laid out.
  I will also add, in full disclosure, that two-thirds of these 
children do not require emergency care because they

[[Page H3902]]

have another parent. They have a family member or an adult caregiver 
available to them. But this implies that we have 6 million kids who 
need emergency care at 45 hours per week.
  There are 6 million children who need to be in childcare. The 
providers that remain open are providing emergency care to these 
workers, and they are incurring costs, including paid premiums for 
staff, substitute workers for staff who are out on paid sick or family 
leave, higher prices for food and materials, including recommended 
personal protective and sanitation equipment and supplies.

  You know, public safety demands that each center or home-based 
provider serves fewer children than they normally do. Why? For safety 
reasons.
  Understand, people want to talk about the economy reopening. Are 
parents going to send their kids to--first of all, we are talking about 
schools where the CDC has said that the worst situation is 5-day, in-
person. Yet, what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to 
do is to tie their education funds to whether they do that, which is 
outrageous to begin with, and now they do not want to provide any 
funding for childcare providers.
  In the HEROES bill, it is $5 million and $10 million in grants. The 
National Women's Law Center has told us it will be about $9.6 billion a 
month to deal with this issue.
  Mr. Speaker, it is unconscionable. All I can say is, if we can bail 
out the airlines, if we can bail out the business community, we should 
be done with the $135 billion. Let's move forward: $50 billion for 
childcare legislation today.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Panetta.) The time of the gentlewoman 
has expired.
  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the Committee on Appropriations 
has expired.
  The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) each will control 15 minutes.
  The gentleman from Virginia is recognized.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the distinguished Speaker of 
the House of Representatives.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support for this 
legislation.
  I salute Congresswoman DeLauro for her leadership over the years, 
constant, persistent, dissatisfied, and relentless, in terms of looking 
out for our children.
  I thank the distinguished gentleman from Virginia, the chair of the 
Education and Labor Committee, for his leadership throughout all of 
this. I think he knows this issue, chapter and verse, over the years, 
and so I am so happy that we are coming to the floor for this.
  In our community, there is such a need for childcare. It is endless. 
We don't even come close. We have been thinking incrementally. We have 
to think transformatively.
  Even little children know. In our community, we have T-shirts, 
``Children Learning, Parents Earning,'' the direct connection between 
quality childcare, where children are given a good start on where they 
are going.
  I rise during this devastating time for America, as the health and 
economic crisis of COVID-19 hurtles further out of control. Ten weeks 
ago, the Democrats delivered a solution by defeating the virus and 
safely opening the economy with the HEROES Act--it was actually 10 
weeks ago today--supporting our heroes, crushing the virus, and putting 
money in America's pocket. Yet, for 10 weeks, we haven't had the action 
that we need on that.
  So, here we are. For all the statements that were made over time 
about need for childcare, this virus has really shown a bright 
spotlight on why it is so important. Parents know; children know; we 
all know. But this virus has been an instructor, because if parents are 
forced to go to work as essential workers, who is going to take care of 
the children if their schools cannot open actually and some are 
virtual?
  Again, when I ran for Congress, over 30 years ago, people said to me: 
``Who is taking care of your children?'' My children were big. Four of 
them were already in college and one a senior in high school. But that 
was the question: Who is taking care of the children? And that is a 
question for our Nation: Who is taking care of the children?
  In order for us to succeed with this, we have to meet the needs of 
the children, their families, and childcare workers. Our childcare 
workers are the workforce behind the workforce, risking their health 
and safety on the front lines to ensure that parents can go to work.
  But they face a devastating situation. The childcare system needs at 
least $50 billion in the next 6 months in order to survive. Just one in 
five childcare programs believes that they can stay open for more than 
a year without Federal support.
  This is essential. An estimated 326,000 workers, nearly one-third of 
the sector nationwide, have lost their jobs since February--326,000 
since February.

                              {time}  1145

  Half of the providers have closed, and those that are open to serve 
children of essential workers are risking their health, too often 
without PPE, and parents are paying the price. We can't get people back 
to work until we have widespread access to safe, quality, and 
affordable childcare.
  Here is the situation in the childcare workers' own words. Terry from 
Wisconsin said: I have gone from 81 kids a day to two. I can't stay 
open with two, we are considered essential, but how can I stay open 
without the help needed? I love my kids, staff, and families, but to 
ask me to go under because all of a sudden I am essential--really? This 
is what we say: People are essential. We have to treat them as if they 
are essential.
  Traci from Pennsylvania says: We are a nonprofit center, mainly 
funded by families who pay out of pocket. We need a way to maintain 
payroll of staff so that they can be ready to return when we are 
allowed to reopen. We need help paying our rent and health insurance 
costs. We will need help understanding how to stay open safely and how 
to adjust to new regulations, how to afford related training, and what 
to do if our families can't afford to return.
  And Mary in New York says: Since COVID, my childcare center has gone 
from 89 percent to about 10 percent. Fifteen employees will lose their 
jobs. We are the only center in a 1-mile radius in a very low-income 
area. We are the only voice for our parents and children. Please help 
us be heard.
  And so action is needed now, which is why I am proud to support two 
bills that will be a lifeline for childcare workers and for the 
economy, while keeping our children safe and helping them and helping 
parents go back to work:
  H.R. 7027, the Child Care Is Essential Act, creating a $50 billion 
childcare stabilization fund to provide funding to childcare providers 
over the next 6 months and helping them safely reopen and operate 
during and after the COVID-19 crisis; and
  H.R. 7327, the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act, expanding access 
to quality childcare to help workers safely return to their jobs and 
stimulate the economy with Federal investments and tax subsidies.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Nita Lowey, a maestro of the 
legislative process, who has advanced immeasurable progress for 
generations of Americans.
  I thank Richard Neal for his leadership on the tax credit and Federal 
investments work.
  Mr. Speaker, I salute Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, chair of the House 
Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
the godmother of much of the work for families and children that we do 
in this Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I also thank Chairman  Bobby Scott and Senator Patty 
Murray, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions Committee, for their leadership on this bill. Thank you, Mr. 
Scott, for every day reminding us and leading us on how we can help our 
children.
  And I thank and recognize the outside organizers who have been 
relentless, persistent, and dissatisfied, as is Rosa, as they have 
fought for the strong investments in the childcare sector that our 
children and workers need.
  When people ask me, ``What are the three most important issues facing 
the Congress?'' I always say the same thing

[[Page H3903]]

and have for over 30 years. The three most important issues facing the 
Congress are our children, our children, our children: their health, 
their education, the economic security of their families, a safe 
environment in which they can thrive, a world at peace in which they 
can reach their fulfillment, and my motivation for even coming to 
Congress was one in five children in America who lives in poverty.
  But it isn't only families in poverty who are affected by this 
childcare issue; it is our entire society and entire economy, and that 
is why we have to think transformatively about this.
  As we observe the 100th anniversary of women having the right to 
vote, as we observe the fact that we have over 100 women in Congress, 
many of them moms of small children, we do have to recognize that, for 
our economy to thrive, we have to have the full participation and 
leadership of women, because we do believe, when women succeed, America 
succeeds, for that to happen. And dads have this responsibility, too, 
so we want them to succeed as well.
  But for all of that to happen, we have to make sure that we know who 
is taking care of the children, and the role that we play is to 
facilitate all of that to make sure it is of the highest quality and 
safety for the children and ensure that they are served by the 
legislation that we are considering.
  For the sake of the children, their health, their safety, and our 
children's future, as we recover from COVID but learn from it, I urge 
our colleagues to support this important legislation.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 7027, Democrats' partisan 
Child Care Is Essential Act, which, based off its troublesome 
provisions, would be better titled as the no care for children act.
  Republicans and Democrats agree that there is a critical need that 
exists in our country today: the need to help childcare providers 
reopen their businesses safely.
  Childcare is the cornerstone of the American workforce. If parents do 
not have a safe place to send their children, they cannot work. If our 
Nation is going to recover swiftly and successfully from the COVID-19 
pandemic, childcare providers must be an integral part of the solution 
to getting America reopened and back to work.
  Unfortunately, the bill we are considering today, H.R. 7027, is just 
another messaging bill for House Democrats, who are more interested in 
political posturing than enacting meaningful solutions.
  Before I get into the lowlights of this legislation, I would like to 
point out that childcare falls under the jurisdiction of the House 
Education and Labor Committee. However, our committee did not hold a 
single hearing or a single markup on today's bill. This is becoming a 
recurring theme in Speaker Pelosi's House of Representatives.

  The fact that Chairman Scott allowed Speaker Pelosi to make the 
opening comments on this bill is a further indication that this is 
Speaker Pelosi's bill. The blatant disregard for congressional 
precedent and proper way of doing our job is appalling. Too many pieces 
of legislation are being written behind closed doors in the Speaker's 
office. This type of backroom horse trading is not how the Nation's 
deliberative body should operate.
  On top of this, House Democrats are casting votes and conducting 
legislative business from the comfort of their own homes or, in some 
cases, their fishing boat, and bringing partisan messaging bills to the 
House floor without going through the legislative process, all while 
collecting a taxpayer-funded paycheck.
  We have gone from a representative Republic to an autocracy. Members 
of Congress were elected to represent Americans here in Washington, yet 
Speaker Pelosi seems set on silencing those voices. This is downright 
shameful and indicative of Speaker Pelosi's out-of-touch politics-over-
progress agenda.
  Back to the flawed legislation at hand.
  We all agree that Congress should help childcare providers reopen 
safely; however, we cannot spend taxpayer dollars recklessly while 
layering on additional burdens when childcare providers on the ground 
are already facing burdensome red tape.
  The Democrats' flawed, one-sided bill appropriates $50 billion, which 
is higher than the entire annual revenue of the childcare industry and 
substantially more than Democrats felt was necessary to include in 
their so-called HEROES Act.
  We know the Democrats preferred solution for any problem is to throw 
more taxpayer money at it, but the Bipartisan Policy Center estimated 
that the industry would need about half of the amount included in H.R. 
7027 to recover.
  Additionally, H.R. 7027 places burdensome requirements on childcare 
providers, which could lead to providers spending more time and money 
applying for and reporting on the funds rather than doing what is most 
important: serving children.
  Providers already have to figure out how to implement new and 
necessary health and safety rules, from social distancing and limits on 
group size to increased cleaning protocols. As if this isn't already 
weighing heavily on childcare professionals, Democrats now want to 
enact even more cumbersome requirements for them to deal with.
  This legislation also tries to dictate from the Federal level how 
providers run their businesses, which can hamper their ability to 
reopen safely and stay open.
  This ill-advised bill also denies support for certain eligible 
providers, such as churches and public recreation camps who are 
licensed-exempt, operating legally in a State, and meeting all State 
and local requirements.
  H.R. 7027 fails to address the barriers many new providers face, an 
issue that can increase cost and limit slots for children.
  Mr. Speaker, the no care for children act will drive up costs 
substantially, tie many providers' hands unnecessarily, and shift the 
focus away from serving children and supporting parents returning to 
work.
  It is worth repeating that Republicans and Democrats wholeheartedly 
agree on the overarching goal of this debate we are having today. A 
lack of childcare options could seriously delay our Nation's economic 
recovery. That is why it is extremely disappointing that we are 
spending our time debating another partisan messaging bill from House 
Democrats rather than focusing on common ground and working in a 
bipartisan fashion to solve our differences on this issue and deliver 
for American families.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge a ``no'' vote on H.R. 7027, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would remind the distinguished ranking member that we 
did have a hearing in February and, actually, a briefing in May that 
the minority party decided not to participate in.
  And insofar as the Speaker, she was here. If I had opened, she would 
have had to listen to me and to you and would have been here waiting 
all that time. The Speaker is busy, so I called on the Speaker so she 
could speak and return to her busy schedule.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. 
McBath), a distinguished member of the Committee on Education and 
Labor.
  Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, the childcare industry has suffered 
tremendous losses since the start of this pandemic. Centers are facing 
increased operating costs and are working overtime to provide adequate 
PPE and sanitation materials to keep our children safe.
  Countless American families rely on the childcare industry, and we 
must provide them with the materials and equipment that they need to 
give our children the best possible care. To help small businesses 
grow, support hardworking Georgians, and uplift our economy, parents 
must have a safe place to send their children.

                              {time}  1200

  Truly, the childcare industry helps give our kids the foundation for 
their future, and it needs our help.
  Hardworking families deserve our support, and the Child Care Is 
Essential Act would give providers the funding and resources they need 
to nurture the next generation.

[[Page H3904]]

  I thank Representative DeLauro for her leadership and Chairman Scott 
for his leadership.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Byrne).
  Mr. BYRNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Child Care Is 
Essential Act.
  Everyone in this Chamber can agree that access to childcare will be 
vital to the continued reopening of our economy, especially as more and 
more parents return to work. However, this legislation is not the 
answer. It would cost an astronomical $50 billion, an amount higher 
than the total revenue of the childcare industry in the United States, 
and twice as high as the Bipartisan Policy Center reports that 
childcare providers actually need.
  Further, this legislation places so many reporting requirements on 
agencies that $5 billion of that money, a whopping 10 percent, will go 
to administrative expenses, rather than helping children get the care 
that they need. This is not where the red tape is, by the way. The bill 
places additional and unneeded regulatory burdens on childcare centers 
that would increase their costs and require them to follow State and 
CDC guidelines on operations, even when those guidelines may directly 
contradict each other. The Child Care Is Essential Act also unfairly 
limits access to these funds. Licensed-exempt facilities like at many 
churches will be prohibited from accessing these funds.
  Childcare is essential as parents begin returning to the workplace, 
however, this bill spends too much taxpayer money and places an undue 
and unworkable regulatory burden on facilities, Federal agencies, and 
yes, on families.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this legislation, and I ask my 
Democratic colleagues to actually come to the table on a bipartisan 
solution to this issue.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman 
from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney), a distinguished member of the 
Committee on Education and Labor.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Child Care 
Is Essential Act. This bill is badly needed to clear a massive 
roadblock on our Nation's path to economic recovery. The choice is 
clear. Without assistance, only 18 percent of existing childcare 
programs will remain open a year from today.
  Last month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, not known as a strong 
supporter of social services, announced its support for emergency aid 
for childcare providers, declaring that ``for millions of Americans, 
returning to work is not just contingent on the lifting of stay-at-home 
orders . . . but on securing care for their children.'' This aid is 
critical because childcare providers are small businesses and have been 
operating at reduced capacity and much higher costs, if they are open 
at all. This situation is not sustainable. Every month more centers are 
closing as costs exceed revenues. Some estimates predict that we may 
lose as many as 4.5 million slots nationwide unless Congress acts and 
acts fast.
  Mr. Speaker, our Nation has long undervalued the role that childcare 
plays in enabling our workforce, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed 
that deplorable lack of investment. Making sure the childcare industry 
survives, as the Chamber testified, will shorten the recession by 
getting parents back to work.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and neighbor, Rosa DeLauro and 
Chairman Scott for their work on this bill and I urge a ``yes'' vote.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, as our Nation continues to respond, recover, 
and reopen our economy following the outbreak of COVID-19, we can all 
agree that childcare is necessary in getting Americans back to work.
  No parent will return to work if they do not have a safe place for 
their child, which is another reason why schools safely reopening 
should be a priority of my Democratic colleagues.
  However, Democrats are pushing a partisan proposal that carelessly 
overspends taxpayer dollars and further burdens our childcare 
providers, who already face bureaucratic red tape, with more mandates, 
like overly extensive application requirements that will cost them more 
time and money when their time is better spent caring for our children.
  These mandates will prevent new providers from entering the industry, 
ultimately increasing costs and limiting the amount of available slots 
for children.
  This again is a one-size-fits-all, top-down government program. How 
much of this money will actually get there to take care of a child?
  H.R. 7027 appropriates $50 billion, which is higher than the entire 
annual revenue of the childcare industry--think about that--and twice 
the amount that the Bipartisan Policy Center estimated the industry 
would need. Is it going to cost another $25 billion to administrate 
this thing for all the burdensome red tape that goes along with it?
  Once again, the Democrats' solution is more government control, more 
regulation, and more taxpayer dollars wasted with burdensome strings 
attached. When are the American people going to wake up?
  It denies support for certain eligible providers, such as churches 
and public recreation camps, who are license-exempt and operating 
legally in a State that meet all State and local requirements.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from 
Georgia an additional 15 seconds.
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that, rather than finding 
common ground, my colleagues across the aisle are moving forward with a 
bill that will only hurt families who want to return to work and need 
access to childcare.

  I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill, and let's all go back to 
the drawing board so that we can find support for our working families.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici), the chair of the Subcommittee 
on Civil Rights and Human Resources.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
Child Care Is Essential Act.
  Childcare is one of the most urgent and stressful issues facing 
families during this pandemic and stabilizing it will be a key factor 
in opening our communities safely.
  I recently spoke about this issue with Oregonians who are struggling, 
parents, early child educators, and small business owners. I released a 
report urging support for the childcare industry. As one mom told me: 
``if childcare crumbles, if it even gets a fraction more difficult to 
find, then our collective ability to work crumbles too.''
  The childcare crisis disproportionately affects women, who, because 
of entrenched gender roles, continue to take on the majority of 
childcare and household responsibilities.
  A lack of affordable childcare reduces the ability of women to work 
outside the home and extends the gender pay gap. This is also an issue 
of racial justice. Many childcare workers are women of color.
  I am grateful for previous stimulus efforts, but it is not enough. 
The Child Care Is Essential Act will provide immediate relief through 
$50 billion, which I will note is less than the amount that went to the 
Nation's airlines in coronavirus legislation. This is in direct grant 
funding to help childcare providers cover operating expenses, purchase 
PPE and cleaning supplies, pay providers through the pandemic and 
beyond, and importantly, give parents the relief they need from high 
copayments and tuition.
  Investing in our children now has long-term benefits for our 
families, for our communities, and for our economy.
  I thank Congresswoman DeLauro and Chairman Scott for their 
leadership, and I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, could you advise me how much time 
is remaining on both sides?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Virginia has 10 minutes 
remaining. The gentlewoman from North Carolina has 4\1/4\ minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Schrier).

[[Page H3905]]

  

  Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, parents can't go back to earning until 
their children can go back to learning. The topic of reopening schools 
has been top of mind in recent weeks. We also need safe care for our 
young ones though, because their parents need to work, too.
  Childcare is essential, for parents and children. Many childcare 
providers have closed during this pandemic, some for safety, some for 
financial reasons.
  But childcare isn't just about parents' jobs. High quality early 
childhood education is the single best way to close the opportunity gap 
and give disadvantaged children a strong start. Every dollar invested 
in early childhood education pays back $7 down the road, and that is a 
phenomenal investment.
  The Child Care Is Essential Act provides financial assistance so 
providers can reopen safely.
  By passing this bill, we support children, working families, and 
childcare providers; all worthy of our investment.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Politico wrote recently, ``A lack of safe and affordable 
childcare amid the coronavirus pandemic is keeping many working parents 
from returning to the office as more companies call employees back to 
their jobs, threatening to extend the economic crisis and erode decades 
of gains for women in the workplace.''
  In fact, the Bipartisan Policy Center found that at the height of the 
COVID-19 outbreak, 60 percent of childcare centers closed, and one-
third of the childcare workforce lost their jobs.
  The topic of today's debate is an issue that both Republicans and 
Democrats agree must be addressed. Unfortunately, the legislation being 
pushed by Democrats spends taxpayer dollars recklessly and layers on 
additional burdensome requirements.
  That is why my Republican colleagues have introduced the Back to Work 
Child Care Grants Act of 2020, which is led by Senator Ernst and 
Senator Alexander in the Senate and Representative Reed in the House.
  Unlike the Democrat bill we are considering today, the Back to Work 
Child Care Grants Act will offer childcare providers solutions and 
resources, not burdensome red tape. The GOP-led initiative would 
support childcare providers by offering short-term financial 
assistance, critical resources to reopen and stay open, all while 
holding providers accountable to State and local health and safety 
guidelines.
  Regrettably, the Democrats' childcare bill picks winners and losers 
by denying help to many providers who are license-exempt and operating 
legally, such as churches and public recreation camps. The Back to Work 
Child Care Grants Act of 2020, on the other hand, ensures all providers 
in need of support have access to funding.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to gentlewoman 
from Illinois (Ms. Underwood), a distinguished member of the Committee 
on Education and Labor.
  Ms. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
7027, the Child Care Is Essential Act.
  Failing to solve this childcare crisis will set women back in the 
workforce for generations.
  We know that if we let our childcare industry collapse, the burden 
will fall heavily on women.

  I saw firsthand the challenges childcare providers face when I 
visited the Building Blocks Learning Academy in Batavia, Illinois 
earlier this month.
  They are doing heroic work, but they need support.
  If Congress doesn't act, thousands of childcare providers will close, 
and millions of childcare slots will disappear.
  I am proud that Illinois has been a model for how States can respond 
to support childcare providers, but they still need the Federal help 
that this bill delivers, and we must pass it today.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Hayes), a distinguished member of 
the Committee on Education and Labor.
  Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Child Care 
Is Essential Act.
  From the beginning, this pandemic has exacerbated the existing 
inequities in society and revealed the cracks that we have always known 
existed in our childcare system.
  The stress on this economy has left it teetering on the edge of total 
collapse. The tone from parents and providers who call my office about 
this issue have become increasingly more desperate.
  Providers in Connecticut tell me stories about being behind on rent 
payments, having to furlough workers, having to dip into their own 
savings to stay solvent, and trying to figure out if there is a way to 
safely open without continuing to mount debt.
  We may lose over half of licensed childcare providers in my State.
  Even before coronavirus, the childcare industry and families in 
Connecticut were struggling. We often hear that there is dignity in 
work, and without childcare, work can't happen for many people.
  I am a working mother. I rely on before and aftercare, and right now, 
like many of my constituents, I am struggling. We live in a country 
where women contribute to the economy, where women contribute to 
societies, where families are struggling to go back to work.

                              {time}  1215

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut an additional 30 seconds.
  Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, that is why I am excited to be here today 
with my colleagues, voting on legislation that will provide immediate 
relief to community providers and inject stability into the childcare 
industry.
  This bill would keep the workers that help our children learn, grow, 
and thrive employed. It would keep small businesses afloat and respond 
to the crisis at hand.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Child Care Is 
Essential Act and put their money where their mouths are.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  Mr. Speaker, we need more childcare slots, but rather than opening 
more doors, H.R. 7027 denies support for certain eligible providers 
such as churches and public recreation camps who are operating legally, 
and fails to address the barriers to entry new providers face, an issue 
that can increase costs and limit slots for children.
  Given the capacity issue of existing centers, legislative proposals 
should allow for more slots and reduce the barriers to entry for new 
providers. This bill does the opposite.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens), a distinguished member of the 
Committee on Education and Labor.
  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, we have a childcare crisis in America.
  In Michigan, when our auto manufacturers had to stop producing to 
address the impacts of COVID-19 and we saw production orders go to 
zero, with that, our daycare centers witnessed and experienced a 
dramatic drop in participation. Today, 40 percent of daycare providers 
in Michigan are at risk of imminent closure.
  We say, ``Let's get back to work. We are ready to get back to work. 
We want to get back to work safely,'' but we need our daycare centers. 
We need the Child Care Is Essential Act because of the very fact that 
childcare is essential in America.
  This is too much of an impediment for the hardworking people in 
Michigan and across this country, and it is a long overdue and realized 
endeavor that we must take on to address the coronavirus pandemic and 
what we need to do to get back to work safely in America.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Cisneros).
  Mr. CISNEROS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Child Care 
Is Essential Act.
  Without additional Federal assistance, half the childcare capacity in

[[Page H3906]]

California and across the country is at risk of disappearing. This bill 
would provide much-needed relief for these facilities in my State and 
support working families.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative DeLauro for her leadership on 
this issue and for working with my friend, Representative Bacon, and me 
to include language from our bill in this package.
  My bipartisan bill ensures childcare providers can pay for cleaning 
supplies and safety equipment to protect children and childcare workers 
from the coronavirus.
  According to a nationwide survey, 91 percent of childcare centers are 
incurring additional costs for cleaning supplies. We must provide the 
necessary resources to protect the health and safety of our children 
and childcare workers.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this bill 
to ensure childcare facilities nationwide can continue to serve our 
families.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close when 
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) is prepared to close.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Ms. Kendra S. Horn).
  Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott 
for allowing me to speak on this critical issue.
  I rise in strong support of the Child Care Is Essential Act and am 
grateful for the inclusion of my bill, the Children's Mental Health 
Care Access Act.
  Quality, affordable childcare is critical, not only for children and 
families across the country, but investing in the physical health and 
safety of our children as well as the mental health of our children is 
critical.
  After months of social isolation, disrupted schedules, and an 
environment that has created stress, uncertainty, and anxiety for 
families, children are included in this. I introduced the Children's 
Mental Health Care Access Act to provide mental health services at 
childcare facilities through the Child Care and Development Block 
Grant.
  Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a 2019 study showed that 16.5 percent 
of American children experience mental health issues, and fewer than 
half receive treatment. My bill ensures that caregivers have a support 
system and are prepared with evidence-based and trauma-informed 
solutions to help our children.
  Mr. Speaker, I am grateful my bill is included, and I urge support of 
the Child Care Is Essential Act.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the able Chairman Scott for allowing 
me this 1 minute, and I congratulate him on this legislation, also to 
Chairwoman Lowey on a related bill, and Chairwoman DeLauro.
  I rise in support of the Child Care Is Essential Act and the Child 
Care for Economic Recovery Act.
  Parents in our communities want and need quality, affordable 
childcare. Since the Childcare and Development Block Grant's enactment 
in 1990, the program has been the largest source of financial 
assistance to families struggling to afford childcare.
  Today, the need for childcare assistance in this country has never 
been greater, and coronavirus has made the situation so much worse. In 
Ohio, the average annual cost of infant care is $9,697 a year. That is 
a staggering $808 a month, which is unattainable for the majority of 
families in Ohio.
  With the ongoing pandemic, there could not be a better time for 
Congress to make investments in stabilizing the childcare sector to 
support providers, workers, and families they serve.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds 
to the gentlewoman from Ohio.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
additional time.
  The Child Care for Economic Recovery Act adds to and modifies tax 
provisions allowing for an increase and refundable child and dependent 
care tax credit, allows employers payroll tax credits, while also 
increasing the general funding for childcare entitlement under the 
Social Security Act.
  Furthermore, the Child Care Is Essential Act allows providers to use 
stabilization grants to support personnel pay and benefits, 
sanitization and PPE, training and professional development, and mental 
health services. According to the Economic Policy Institute, investing 
in children could increase economic recovery by $5.6 billion in new 
economic activity in Ohio alone.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support these important bills.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time 
remains on both sides.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) has 
2\3/4\ minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. 
Foxx) has 2 minutes remaining.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance 
of my time.
  Congress should provide childcare centers nationwide with resources 
that will allow them to recover from the many challenges they have 
endured over the last few months. Unfortunately, this body has yet 
again missed an opportunity to come together in a bipartisan manner, 
solve our differences, and tackle an issue we all agree needs to be 
addressed. Instead, we have more partisanship, more political 
posturing, and more one-sided legislation on the House floor absent of 
any committee consideration.
  Mr. Speaker, American families and childcare providers across the 
Nation deserve better than the legislation before us. I strongly urge a 
``no'' vote on the Democrats' no care for children act, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend, Congresswoman Rosa 
DeLauro, for her work in support of children, families, and childcare 
providers.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Child Care Is Essential Act.
  Access to affordable childcare is critical to working families in 
helping our economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Without childcare, parents cannot return to work, businesses cannot 
reopen, and young children cannot access invaluable early learning 
opportunities.
  At this moment, the childcare industry stands at the brink of 
collapse. Childcare providers already struggled financially before the 
pandemic. Now, dramatically low revenue and increased operating costs 
are pushing providers towards permanent closures.
  In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has already cost the jobs of roughly 
one in four childcare workers, and researchers estimate that we could 
permanently lose up to 4.5 million childcare slots. The pandemic has 
already impacted the lives of parents, 13 percent of whom have had to 
lower their work hours or quit their jobs entirely due to difficulties 
in childcare.
  Our constituents are calling us to take action. A recent survey found 
that more than 8 in 10 voters across the political spectrums favor a 
substantial Federal investment in childcare. We must save the childcare 
system, which is critical for working families, our economy, and the 
healthy development of our Nation's children. We can do that by voting 
in favor of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to pass this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 
7027, the Child Care is Essential Act, a critical effort that I have 
proudly cosponsored, as child care providers have been among the 
hardest hit by the economic turmoil caused by this public health 
emergency. At least half of all providers have been forced to close at 
some point during this pandemic, and almost a quarter of child care 
staff have lost their jobs.
  The Child Care is Essential Act will establish and provide $50 
billion for the Child Care Stabilization Fund, so that grants can be 
awarded to child care providers during and after this COVID-19 
pandemic. Child care providers that are currently open or temporarily 
closed due to this pandemic are eligible to receive this funding, which 
will be calculated by

[[Page H3907]]

the provider's operating costs before COVID-19 and adjusted for the 
increased costs of providing child care now. These providers will be 
able to use this stabilization funding for numerous activities, 
including personnel costs, personal protection equipment, training for 
health and safety practices, mental health supports for children and 
staff, and fixed costs.
  As a Congress, we must stabilize our critical child care 
infrastructure, as they play a critical role in ensuring that our 
working families are not forced to make difficult decisions regarding 
reduction in work hours or loss of employment. For our nation to 
recover economically from this pandemic, we must strengthen the child 
care providers that enable our economy to function.
  In Texas, our providers, families, and communities deserve this 
federal support. The Center for American Progress has estimated that my 
state will lose 54% of its child care supply and 483,632 licensed child 
care slots without adequate federal assistance, and this loss will be 
monumental in its impact. If this Congress can push the Child Care is 
Essential Act into law, Texas will receive an estimated amount of 
$5,372,096,736 from the $50 billion Child Care Stabilization Fund 
through allocations to my state.
  As representatives of Americans from all corners of our country, we 
have a responsibility to protect the livelihood and well-being of our 
families and communities, especially during this moment of national 
upheaval caused by this novel coronavirus. On behalf of my home state 
of Texas, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7027.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 1053, the previous question is ordered 
on the bill, as amended.
  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.


                           Motion to Recommit

  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit 
at the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentlewoman opposed to the bill?
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am in its current form.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to 
recommit.
  The Clerk read as follows:
       Mrs. Rodgers of Washington moves to recommit the bill (H.R. 
     7027) to the Committee on Appropriations with instructions to 
     report the bill back to the House forthwith with the 
     following amendment:
       In section 1(d)(2)(B) of the bill, strike ``that--'' and 
     all that follows through ``(ii)'' and insert ``that'', and 
     redesignate subparagraphs (I) and (II) as clauses (i) and 
     (ii).
       In section 1(d)(2)(D)(i) of the bill, redesignate 
     subclauses (V) and (VI) as subclauses (VI) and (VII), and 
     insert the following after subclause (IV):

       (V) an assurance the eligible provider will provide 
     professional development to new and returning employees on 
     safety protocols, including any updates to protocols or best 
     practices due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, that 
     shall include educating such staff on how to recognize social 
     and emotional concerns of children in their care and the 
     families of such children and how to identify and report 
     child abuse in light of new protocols for interacting with 
     such children;

       In section 1(d)(2)(F) of the bill,--
       (1) insert ``, or for new providers'' after ``2020'',
       (2) in clause (i) insert ``, or plan to provide,'' after 
     ``provided'',
       (3) in clause (ii) insert ``, or plan to serve,'' after 
     ``served'',
       (4) in clause (iii) insert ``, or plan to serve,'' after 
     ``served'', and
       (5) in clause (iv) insert ``, or plan to operate,'' after 
     ``operated''.

  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask 
unanimous consent to dispense with the reading.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Mrs. Rodgers) is recognized for 5 minutes in support of her 
motion.
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, as we heard in the debate 
today, we all agree keeping children safe and healthy is our top 
priority.
  For people to get back to work, parents need childcare; they need 
safe options and more flexibility for the care of their children. That 
is why Republicans have introduced sensible legislation that supports 
all childcare providers so that we can expand access to childcare to 
pre-COVID levels and beyond.
  However, unlike our solution, there are problems with the majority's 
underlying bill that limits parents' ability to find care.
  The underlying bill won't help businesses start up new childcare 
options; it won't help smaller childcare providers, often women- and 
minority-owned businesses, reopen or finally accomplish their dream of 
starting their own business.
  As a result, this bill will prevent more providers from opening. That 
is a serious problem, especially in places where shutdowns and stay-
home orders force providers to permanently close. That means parents 
will have nowhere to turn if new options aren't available, if they want 
a smaller setting for childcare, or if large childcare centers hit caps 
on enrollment.
  To fix this, my motion helps a new childcare business start and 
increases the number of available childcare slots for children. It 
would amend the underlying text to ensure that all providers are able 
to access funding, including those that have recently opened to support 
working parents.
  Republicans weren't provided the chance to debate adding these 
provisions to the bill because the majority seems to be more interested 
in scoring political points these days than actually working together 
to solve problems.
  Another issue they didn't address today is child safety. While we 
talked about adhering to new recommended sanitation and social 
distancing requirements--all critical--there was no discussion of 
keeping children safe from abuse, neglect, and violence. My motion will 
ensure we are focused on recognizing and addressing child abuse and 
neglect.
  Many of us in this Chamber have raised the alarm that the stress, the 
isolation, the fear caused by COVID-19 has increased the threat of 
abuse and domestic violence. The numbers are alarming.

                              {time}  1230

  This amendment to the underlying bill requires anyone receiving 
funding in this program to provide an assurance that all their 
employees have completed education on safety protocols and know how to 
recognize child abuse.
  Mr. Speaker, I am a mom of three school-aged kids, and this spring 
was difficult for them and their mom and dad. I am speaking every day 
with hardworking men and women who want to keep their families healthy, 
who are eager to get back to work and eager to get their kids back in 
school and in daycare.
  There is a lot of fear about children losing an entire year of their 
education if we don't get back on track. There are concerns about 
parents, parents in Pend Oreille County in my district, where 14,000 
people live and work in industries like mining, timber, tourism, and 
healthcare. Even before coronavirus hit, there was only one childcare 
provider in the entire county--just one.
  While there have been less than 40 cases of coronavirus in Pend 
Oreille, they have been hit hard by economic shutdowns and stay-at-home 
orders. This community deserves every chance to come back stronger than 
before.
  For counties like Pend Oreille, and for places that have been hit 
hardest by the virus, we can't afford to be limiting parents' choices. 
We need to give parents more control and the ability to navigate this 
new future, a future where we have the confidence to provide for our 
families and the courage to dream again because our kids are safe, 
healthy, and learning.
  For more options in child safety, this amendment should have been 
part of the underlying bill. I ask the majority to recognize that they 
missed this critical issue. Now is the time to correct them.
  I urge bipartisan support, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the motion to 
recommit.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Connecticut is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, let me first start by saying that licensed 
providers already receive this training, that licensed providers 
already are equipped for identifying abuse and reporting abuse. Now is 
not the time to focus on startups.

[[Page H3908]]

  Today, I ask my colleagues to support childcare providers who need 
help now, to not allow these pillars in our community to go bankrupt, 
to prevent our most vulnerable children from becoming disconnected from 
their childcare providers and centers.
  Every working parent in this room and around the country knows the 
feeling of vulnerability that comes with trusting your children in the 
hands of someone in order to support your family.
  Every working parent in this room and around the country knows the 
sense of helplessness that comes when that critical care is in jeopardy 
and your family is left scrambling for an alternative. That feeling of 
helplessness is what parents across the country are facing right now in 
the middle of a global pandemic as childcare centers have closed their 
doors, many of them permanently.
  Coronavirus has had a devastating effect on childcare providers. 
Since March, almost a quarter of providers have lost their jobs, and as 
many as two out of five centers have recently indicated that they will 
go out of business without financial support. 4.5 million childcare 
slots are at risk of disappearing, including over 46,000 in my own home 
State of Connecticut. That is 4.5 million working families who will be 
left behind without childcare.
  It is frustrating to see my colleagues acting in such bad faith here 
today, attempting to sabotage a commonsense plan that would help 
Americans get back to work, that would help working parents and 
children in their States as well as mine.
  Let us talk about what the bill actually does. The Child Care Is 
Essential Act provides $50 billion in grant funding within CCDBG for 
providers to reopen and stay open safely. As part of receiving these 
grants, the bill requires all providers to commit to employ and pay 
their employees at pre-COVID-19 levels and to provide families with 
relief in the cost of care.
  H.R. 7027 requires providers to follow the CDC guidance and local 
authorities to keep children and staff safe.
  Yes, follow the science to keep children safe.
  Childcare is not a partisan issue, or it should not be. Nine out of 
10 Americans support a relief package like the Child Care Is Essential 
Act. Our childcare industry enables millions of Americans to go back to 
work and will help millions of parents fully return to the workforce 
when the pandemic passes.
  We cannot calculate the revenue of this industry without considering 
the impact it has on the total overall economy.
  As a body, and in a bipartisan way, we supported $50 billion in 
relief to the airline industry. As a body, in a bipartisan way, we 
supported $670 billion, without restrictions, to the restaurant 
industry to save those businesses.
  In all of these relief packages, childcare workers and providers were 
left behind. We all talk about the need to reopen the economy, but that 
can't happen without the necessary funding to ensure the sustainability 
of childcare providers.
  As the pandemic continues to race through this country due to this 
administration's failed response, parents who are called back to work 
have to make a difficult decision: either send their child back to a 
childcare center or stay home and lose wages or potentially their jobs.
  Show me your budget, and I will show you your values. That is 
something that I often say. If we will not make childcare resources a 
line item in our budget, we cannot claim it is our national priority.
  My colleagues have a habit of saying they agree with the Democratic 
proposal on the issue of childcare. But when it is time to make any 
investments, they retreat. ``It is not a good use of taxpayer 
dollars,'' is what they often say.

  I remind you here today that the American families who are asking for 
this help are the taxpayers.
  In case there is any doubt here today, Republicans have made it 
abundantly clear to the American people that they would rather use 
taxpayer dollars to bail out private industry than support America's 
working families and their children.
  House Democrats are here to work for the people, here today to 
address the childcare crisis in this country, something that my 
colleagues should get serious about fast.
  I encourage you all to join us in investing in high-quality childcare 
and the industry that helps to make that happen.
  Even as a high school teacher, it was always evident to me which 
students attended high-quality childcare centers. Their language, 
socialization skills, problem-solving skills, and increased parental 
involvement were always evident. We have to support childcare. It is 
essential.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is 
ordered on the motion to recommit.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the noes appeared to have it.
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas 
and nays.
  The SPEAKER Pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 
965, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question 
are postponed.

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