“Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the president’s emergency supplemental funding request for the Department of Health and Human Services.”

“The president’s emergency supplemental funding request proposes $22.2 billion for HHS. The largest and most urgent request, $16 billion, will ensure millions of American Families do not lose access to affordable child care.”

“Child care in this country is either unaffordable or unavailable for millions of Americans. The average cost of child care ranges from $5,000 to over $17,000 a year, depending on where you are in the country. That is like college tuition for most families, but for kids who have not started kindergarten.”

“Providers, meanwhile, operate on thin margins, and child care workers receive disgracefully low wages, lower than almost any other occupation.”

— Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra testifying before the the Senate Appropriations Committee, C-Span, November 8, 2023