Following the release of Joe Biden’s caregiving plan today, Democratic Party of Virginia Executive Director Andrew Whitley released the following statement:

“Donald Trump promised to stand up for working families. But for three and a half years, he has continued to put himself and his rich friends first. His tax scam undermined tax credits for working parents while funneling billions to the ultra-wealthy. Even in the midst of this pandemic, Trump has made it harder for Virginians to take care of our kids and make a living. Now more than ever, we deserve better from our president. Virginia saw through Donald Trump’s empty rhetoric in 2016, and this November, we’re bringing an end to his broken promises.”

BACKGROUND ON TRUMP’S BROKEN PROMISES ON CHILD CARE

Promise: “Child care is such a big problem. We’re going to solve that problem. That means we need working mothers to be fairly compensated for their work and have access to affordable, quality child care for their kids. It’s what we’re doing.” [Trump Child Care Policy Speech, 9/13/16]

Reality: Trump’s tax scam helped the wealthy at the expense of working parents, reducing the value of the child and dependent care tax credit for many working families while handing massive giveaways to billionaires and corporations. 

Reality: Even after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration scaled back paid leave requirements for employers, allowing many companies to decline to provide sick leave for child care. Some 17.7 million health care workers were excluded from emergency paid leave, 75% of whom are women.

Reality: Trump’s family leave proposal “does not offer what has generally been considered paid family leave” and wouldn’t provide any new funding, instead forcing parents to “borrow from their future selves.” His proposal also wouldn’t cover care for sick family members or protect parents’ jobs while on leave.

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