Democrat Rep. Katherine Clark expressed support Wednesday for more COVID-19 relief funds, funds that she wants to go to “paid family leave” and “pay equity.”
“Child care is absolutely critical infrastructure if we want to reopen an economy,” Rep. Clark said. “We have to look at it also, child care is a great example of … the devastating effect for women in the pandemic economy.”
Show host Alisyn Camerota then asked Clark if she thought reopening schools would help the economy reopen, but Clark instead swiveled to family leave and raising the minimum wage. (RELATED: Trump’s Department of Labor Unveils Paid Family Leave Program)
“All of the pieces that we need to rebuild an economy are really seen in the child care example,” Clark continued. “Because we need to support women with pay equity, with paid family leave, making sure that we’re raising the minimum wage and that people are paid a living wage that when they’re working full-time, they can support their family.”
When Rep. Clark did mention schools, she said that schools “have to become the safest place in our communities.” (RELATED: Chicago Teachers Union Votes To Defy School Reopening Plans, Demands Vaccinations Before Returning To Classrooms)
Clark summed up her COVID-19 relief position as “We are not going to have a recovery, even with a fair and equitable vaccine distribution, if we don’t address these issues. We always have known they existed, but now they’re in stark relief.”
The call for an “equitable” vaccine distribution plan has already been promised by President Joe Biden as he puts in place his own plan for distributing COVID-19 vaccines nationwide.