Chris Murphy on Families & Children Senate Challenger; Democratic Rep. (CT-5)

Affordable child care in the richest country in the world

When you are living on a more modest salary, your entire world could fall apart if you lose access to a quality child care environment. People have to quit their jobs. They have to move back in with their parents. Because you will upend your entire life for your child.

Murphy laid out just how dire affording child care can be: "Let's say a family makes $42,000, doesn't qualify for our subsidy, is spending $22,000 a year on rent, $15,000 a year on childcare, that's $5,000 left. $100 a week for everything else. For food, for your cell phone, for your clothes for your kid. In the richest, most affluent country in the world, how can we justify leaving families who are doing the right thing, who are working in that position?"

Murphy concluded: "Do the right thing and support the President's proposed plan to support affordable, quality child care in this country."

More funding & services for victims of domestic violence.

Introduction by co-sponsor Sen. Kay Hagan (D,NC):
We have a serious responsibility to ensure that women and families are protected. The rates of violence and abuse in our country are astounding and totally unacceptable: domestic violence affects more than 12 million people each year. In my home state, 73 women and children are killed on average every year because of domestic violence.

Since 1994, the STOP Program has provided grants for services, training, officers, and prosecutors, and has transformed our criminal justice system and victim support services. And this bill includes the bipartisan SAFER Act, which helps fund audits of untested DNA evidence and reduces this backlog of rape kits. I ask you: What other victims in America have to identify the attacker before authorities will take action? None.Introduction by Sen. Chuck Grassley(R,IA):
I urge my Republican colleagues, as I will do, to support the motion to proceed. There has long been bipartisan support for the Violence Against Women Act. Too many women are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence. There is overwhelming bipartisan support for 98% of what is contained in S. 47. [Since our negative vote last session], controversial provisions have been removed. The key stumbling block to enacting a bill at this time is the provision concerning Indian tribal courts. Negotiations are continuing, and compromises would allow the bill to pass with overwhelming bipartisan support. Introduction by Sen. Pat Leahy (D,VT):
Our bill will allow services to get to those in the LGBT community who have had trouble accessing services in the past. The rates of domestic and sexual violence in these communities are equal to or greater than those of the general population. We also have key improvements for immigrant victims of domestic and sexual violence.