GOP Senators warn against hasty federal intervention in child care crisis.

The child care crisis in the United States has become a pressing issue for working families and child care workers. On May 31, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee convened to discuss potential solutions to this problem.

“Think before you act” was the message from Senate Republicans to lawmakers considering the federal government’s involvement in U.S. child care.

The hearing saw lawmakers from both sides of the aisle presenting their perspectives on the matter. HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pushed for more federal funding for child care, while ranking Republican member Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who is a physician, urged his fellow lawmakers to think before taking action.

Cassidy expressed concerns about the rising costs of child care as federal money is invested, cautioning against hastily pouring additional federal dollars into the sector without careful consideration. He argued that similar patterns were observed in higher education, where increased federal assistance led to skyrocketing costs for students.

“As more federal assistance has gone towards student loans, the cost of higher education has skyrocketed,” Cassidy said. “As [was] pointed out by Matthew Desmond in the book ‘Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,’ when the federal government threw additional money at housing programs, the funding was largely swallowed up by the bureaucracy in charge rather than actually reaching those in need on the ground.”

Cassidy emphasized the importance of ensuring that any federal assistance for making child care affordable doesn’t inadvertently exacerbate the problem or burden taxpayers with ever-increasing costs.

Democrats Favor More Funding

While Democrats advocate for additional federal funding to address child care concerns, proposing an additional $600 billion for a government-run institutionalized child care system, Cassidy expressed concerns about the long-term effects of such a plan.

The hearing also touched on the availability of funds for child care initiatives, with billions allocated through the end.

• Senate Republicans encourage lawmakers to think before acting on child care crisis
• HELP Committee discusses potential solutions to meet the needs of working families and child care workers
• Cassidy expresses concerns about rising costs of child care and caution against hastily pouring additional federal dollars into the sector without careful consideration
• Democrats advocate for additional federal funding for a government-run institutionalized child care system