WASHINGTON, D.C. – America’s moms are intensifying their call for Congress to adopt the programs and policies we need to stay in the workforce, care for our families, and lift our economy.

In a full-page ad in the D.C. edition of today’s New York Times, more than 50 national organizations join MomsRising in telling lawmakers:

To truly make moms and families happy, and to improve our lives and our economy, every member of Congress must honor the work that moms, dads, daughters, sons, parents, and other caregivers do every day through support for early care and education; safety for children and families; stronger schools; and healthier children and families.

The ad also thanks President Biden for the recent Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers Executive Order, which supports moms, parents, and families and strengthens our economy.

In addition, approximately 100 moms and children from a dozen states will bring that message to Congress next Wednesday, May 17, at the “Honor Moms Every Day” picnic, on the U.S. Senate side of the U.S. Capitol Lawn (across the street from the Russell Senate Office Building at the intersection of Constitution and Delaware, NE) beginning at 11 am. More than 20 members of Congress are expected to stop by the event, which will feature teddy bears, bubbles, rideable giraffes, foxes and rhinos, and other fun activities for kids.  

On that same day, MomsRising will deliver signatures on an open letter to Congress and stories from moms across the nation to the office of each member of Congress, and will run digital ads showcasing the importance of care infrastructure policies. 

“Being a mom isn’t always a picnic. Moms deserve leaders who advance policies that give us the opportunity to build good lives for ourselves and our families, as well as to lift the economy, and that means prioritizing: affordable child care, paid family and medical leave, food and nutrition support, secure maternal and reproductive health care, maternal health equity policies, and more,” said MomsRising Executive Director and CEO Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. “Our inaction and missed opportunities have made raising kids, caring for parents, and caring itself impossible for so many of us. America’s moms need a care infrastructure so we can succeed, and businesses and our economy can thrive. That begins with Congress passing a clean debt ceiling increase to avoid a catastrophic economic collapse, and asking the wealthiest individuals and corporations to finally pay their fair share. And we need the care infrastructure policies all societies need to thrive.”

A new national survey of 1,000 likely 2024 women voters conducted by Lake Research Partners for MomsRising this month finds that large majorities of moms across political parties strongly favor family-friendly policies that address caregiving, health care, early childhood education, and freedom from gun violence. It finds that:

• 86% of moms strongly favor access to high quality, affordable child care and pre-K for all children;
• 84% of moms strongly favor access to high quality, affordable health care;
• 81% of moms strongly favor access to high quality, affordable elder and disability care;
• 79% of moms strongly favor 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave; and
• 74% of moms strongly favor community-based intervention services aimed at reducing gun violence.

Additional findings from the new survey will be released shortly.