2024 State of the Union Media Statement from Family Values @ Work Executive Director Josephine Kalipeni

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 7, 2024 – State of the Union Media Statement from Family Values @ Work Executive Director Josephine Kalipeni prior to President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address:

Last year during the State of the Union (SOTU), President Biden spoke about working families saying “Let’s make sure working parents can afford to raise a family with sick days, paid family and medical leave, and affordable childcare.” He outlined his economic agenda and spoke directly to the American people. 

During the 2024 SOTU address, President Biden must reaffirm his commitment to working families. Working families are being squeezed by rising costs, stagnant wages, and inadequate work benefits. We have to work to make ends meet but work isn’t working for any of us. Beyond stating his support as he has done in the past, the President must clearly lay out his plan for ensuring families have more financial stability, key policy features being universal, comprehensive paid family and medical leave, paid sick and safe days, and affordable childcare. Parents cannot continue to send sick children to school because they have run out of paid time off at their places of employment. Workers cannot continue to risk our wages when our families need us to show up for short or long-term caregiving. And parents cannot afford the current costs of childcare. The US has one of the most costly child care systems in the world. Families are paying the equivalent of college tuition for childcare. President Biden must make a commitment to fund these policies at the scale that is needed.

During this SOTU and in a critical election year, the President must make working families a priority by committing to guarantee access to paid family and medical leave, paid sick and safe days, and affordable child care. Beyond lip service, we need a plan to put political posturing aside and ensure families and workers win. Prioritizing these programs moves our nation a step closer to achieving economic justice for everyone––regardless of employment status or job title.  

When we invest in paid family and medical leave we directly address gender, racial, and economic inequities, all of which are wins for families, workers, small businesses, and the US economy. 

                                                                                      # # #