A group of House Democrats announced Thursday that they were forming the Congressional Dads Caucus to focus on family issues.
The group is the brainchild of Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., who said the caucus is “based on a simple idea: Dads should do our part to advance policies that will make a difference in the lives of so many working families around the world. the world». the country.»
Gomez, who brought his son Hodge, now 5 months old, with him to the House floor for what turned out to be a long day of voting for a new speaker this month, said the caucus will champion policies such as license fees. family and medical and the extension of the Child Tax Credit.
Voting for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, DN.Y., in this month’s Speakers Race, Gomez said, “On behalf of my son, Hodge, and all working families who need an expanded child tax credit, I issue my vote for Hakeem Jeffries.
Standing with other caucus members Thursday, Gomez told reporters that the speaker’s vote, which was ultimately won by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., «brought visibility to the role of working parents across the country, but It also shed a light on the double standards that exist.»
«Why am I, a father, praised for doing what mothers do every day, which is taking care of their children?» she asked her.
The parent legislators were joined at the press conference by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., a member of the moms in the house Clique.
Another member of the Congressional Parent Caucus, Rep. Andy Kim, DN.J., said all of those issues became more real to him when he became a father. «I decided to run for Congress because I became a father and all of a sudden these issues that I didn’t care about or focus on as much when I was doing foreign policy suddenly became very real, about health care. about child care, about every aspect of our lives,» she said.
Other caucus members include Reps Dan Goldman and Jamaal Bowman of New York, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Joaquin Castro of Texas.