Every day we hear from families who are struggling to afford the rising costs of groceries, gas, and utility bills. They tell us their budgets have been stretched to the breaking point, and their lives have become more difficult and less safe, all due to the reckless policies of the Biden-Harris administration.
Life is challenging enough without rampant inflation cutting into family savings and weekly budgets, and soft-on-crime policies adding extra worries to trips to the grocery store and neighborhood playdates.
We are members of Congress who represent diverse constituencies from Missouri to Virginia and Iowa to Arkansas. A common bond drives us to tackle issues that affect suburban families and workers across the nation like inflation, health care, and childcare. Our suburban districts tell us, now more than ever, they need our help.
People shop at a grocery store on Aug. 14, in Rosemead, California.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
We answered that call and have been working to pass legislation that will lift suburban regions across the United States, solve problems that hold people back in the workforce and allow our next generation to grow up in a nation that supports them in their drive to succeed, and provides pathways to earn financial stability.
So many families feel that stability is increasingly out of reach. How can parents plan for their children’s educational and career opportunities when they’re struggling to pay their gas bill? How do they navigate the difficult, bittersweet experience of caring for a beloved grandparent at the end of their life when quality health care is so expensive and inaccessible? How can workers be successful in the workforce when they can’t afford advanced technical or vocational training? Our view is clear: government should be making your life easier, not harder, and there is a commonsense, conservative way to fix these problems.
We are proud to champion such efforts in the Suburban Caucus.
This includes Rep. Wittman’s Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, which would broaden the scope of qualified expenses under 529 savings plans, allowing these funds to cover the costs of post-secondary training and credentialing, including licenses and nongovernmental certifications. By providing tax-advantaged resources to families, students, and workers, we can help more Americans obtain and retain good-paying jobs that don’t require a traditional college degree.
It’s not just the economy and jobs that we hear about from our constituents, it’s public safety. That’s why we support Rep. Lawler’s Fentanyl Kills Act, legislation that would help law enforcement charge fentanyl traffickers with attempted murder, a commonsense bill that will further dissuade traffickers from bringing these dangerous drugs into America and putting too many innocents at risk. Drug addiction is a disease, and we must work to prevent such unnecessary deaths that have torn apart communities and families.
Suburban families need flexibility, and are often juggling competing interests like work, childcare, extracurricular activities, health care, and much more. To address the complexity of fitting those issues in on a day-to-day basis, we support Rep. Ashley Hinson’s After Hours Child Care Act. Her legislation would help parents who work nontraditional hours and need to find childcare that fits their work schedule.
Additionally, Rep. Steel’s Telehealth Expansion Act provides greater access to telehealth services, giving working parents the opportunity to schedule health care appointments when it works best for them and their families.
This Congress, the Suburban Caucus engaged with our constituents and advocated on their behalf here in Congress. Rep. Wagner’s Fly Together Act, legislation that would keep families together on flights at no extra cost, passed the House and was signed into law as part of the recent FAA Reauthorization. Parents know that traveling with children can often be complicated and expensive. Airlines should not penalize parents for wanting to make sure their children are safe and secure, and the Fly Together Act will improve travel for families and for other travelers.
Suburban families across America are tied together with a common thread of shared experiences and challenges. We are their advocate in Congress and work to ensure their needs are addressed.
Our work at home in our districts and here in Washington has shown us that families are in need of strong advocates in Congress as they build a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous next generation of America. The Suburban Caucus is here to be that much-needed advocate as Americans face everyday issues like health care, the high cost of gas and groceries, and the many challenges that come with the precious responsibilities of growing a family.
Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the House Suburban Caucus, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), Task Force Chair, and Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Task Force Chair.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
