This Saturday, NOW will be joining the Rally for Abortion Justice in Washington, D.C., along with more than 100 coalition partners.  We need to be on the front lines of the fight to defend access to reproductive healthcare, and that’s where we intend to stay. 

That’s also why we’re working so hard to enact the Biden/Harris Build Back Better Agenda working to support care infrastructure, women, and families. When Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the House Democratic Women’s Caucus, other members of Congress and advocates recently, there was a call-and-response moment that went like this: 

Speaker Pelosi: 

 “I just say to any women who are out there: If you’ve had trouble keeping up with your responsibilities at work because you lack child care, this bill is for you.  

 If you have a sick person or a person with disabilities in your home that needs home health care, this bill is for you.   

If you’re one of those workers who care for those who need help, this bill is for you.  If you want your children to have earliest childhood education with universal pre-K, this bill is for you.  

 If you appreciate the Child Tax Credit to help pay for some of the needs for your children – 

All: 

“This bill is for you!” 

According to the National Women’s Law Center, between February and April 2020, women lost 12.2 million jobs, reversing an entire decade of job gains.  Many of those jobs were lost because the pandemic created a concurrent childcare crisis. Over half of families in the U.S. live in childcare deserts, where over 126,000 childcare providers have left.  

As this photo essay and article from the New York Times shows, the pandemic caused many of the choices mothers once had to disappear.  One woman, who had been homeless but had regained custody of her two children and was working multiple jobs before the shutdown told the Times,  

“I am an overloaded ship right now.  Basically, I had to have multiple hats for everybody in the family, except for myself.” 

Over the following days, the details of the spending bill that Democrats in the Senate plan to pass will come into focus.  It’s a make-or-break time for NOW’s most urgent priorities.   

We need Congress to invest in an infrastructure system that supports women and makes childcare available, accessible and affordable.  And we need a permanent child tax credit so that families can budget and plan long-term, supporting the well-being of their children.  

This is an especially busy time in Washington, D.C., with Congress about to make decisions that will affect us for decades.  NOW’s grassroots strength and commitment has never been needed more.  

How can we keep putting pressure on Congress? Keep up the calls to your Representative, mobilize your activist network to write LTEs or postcards, and watch and share this most recent NOW town hall, “Women Build Better.” 

And, if you’re coming to Washington on Saturday, find us here.