The wave of Democratic women entering the House this January is poised to change the institution of Congress for the better, the more equitable, the more humane. From ending a nearly 200-year-old law banning hats and head coverings to passing meaningful sexual harassment rules that apply to the House itself, things are poised to change.
The newly elected women will do a lot to adapt their lives to Congress—but they’re also calling on Congress to change to fit the lives of families today, to move forward from the assumption that House members are men with wives at home taking care of the kids. That potentially means summer camp for children of members and staffers, an orientation for children of lawmakers, and flexible work weeks. It also means major changes that the House can make for itself now … and will need to keep fighting for everyone else to get:
One incoming lawmaker, Katie Porter, told Axios she's found encouragement from the "Moms of the House" group as she anticipates the high cost of child care as a single mom in Congress. She is eyeing the current child care tax credit cap of $2,000 per child to better "reflect the reality" of high child care costs in the U.S., adding that she expects to have to dole out about $1,500 per month for each of her three children for just daytime care. Congress should look at "some kind of fund or stipend…that could help defray costs" of child care, Wasserman Schultz told Axios.
Make Congress better for women, yes, but also keep pushing to make the laws of the United States better for women.