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09/18/07
08/02/07
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Increasing Access to Meaningful Employment Congressman Fattah believes that every person should be offered the education, skills and job opportunity necessary to find meaningful employment that will allow them to support themselves and their family. He has consistently supported job training programs and worker protection laws that seek to ensure that work pays. In the 110th Congress, the Congressman supported HR 2, the Fair Minimum Wage Act, passed during the first 100 hours of Democratic control. He has also supported the Employee Free Choice Act, HR 800, which helps to protect the rights of workers to organize.
Improving Child Well-Being The Congressman is committed to improving life for our youngest citizens. In May of 2007 Congressman Fattah co-chaired the National Summit on America’s Children. The summit, convened by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Co-chaired by Chairman George Miller and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, brought together Members of Congress, child advocates and researchers. Congressman Fattah is committed to using the best available science to support policy that improves the lives of children, from the very young to those on the verge of adulthood. In addition to his work on the Summit, Congressman Fattah has introduced HR 2477, the State Child Well-Being Research Act of 2007. This bill seeks to create a national survey of child well-being that will provide statistically reliable data for researchers, policymakers, advocates and families about a host of indicators. Some of the indicators that might be measured by this new survey include education, physical, mental and behavioral health, food security, family composition and housing adequacy.
Increased Access to Affordable, High Quality Child Care and Early
Education With a growing number of children being raised by single parents or in households where both parents work outside the home, the need to expand access to affordable, high quality child care is increasingly acute. Current barriers include price, and availability of providers. Head Start has proven to be a vital tool in improving the school readiness of vulnerable children but Head Start centers to not serve all of the children who need them. The Congressman believes that high quality child care/ early education is critical not only for school readiness but also to increase family income through employment. No parent should worry at work if their child is safe, well cared for, and enriching their growing brain. The Congressman supports increased funding for child care, as well as loan forgiveness and scholarships to increase the level of education amongst the child care workforce. These caregivers and educators play a crucial role in the development of the nation and deserve to be compensated fairly.
The
Food Stamp Program Congressman Fattah has been a long time supporter of the Food Stamp program recognizing that no child should go to bed hungry. Food Stamps help kids do better in school, adults be more productive at work, and families stay healthy. Increases
to the Minimum Wage The Congressman recognizes that in order for families to truly break the cycle of poverty, they need the opportunity to earn a fair wage for a day’s work. It is not enough simply to have more families off of the welfare rolls, they must have the opportunity to work their way out of poverty. The Congressman supported the Fair Minimum Wage Act passed by the Democratic Congress in 2007.
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