Did you know there’s an election coming up? Yep, it’s tomorrow as a matter of fact. Just in case the rampant ads blaring out of your television and radio every 17 minutes didn’t give you a hint.
I’ll admit that I love campaign season and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) drives … in fact, I think Election Day should be a national holiday. But even though I get excited for a good election year (in this case, it’s the Midterm Elections), I still get frustrated by the current state of politics in our country, which is why I’ve made a career as a lobbyist to help others be better advocates for themselves and their communities.
For parents, it can be hard to stay on top of all the issues, especially when you’re busy chasing around a toddler. I know it can be confusing and even a little annoying – the barrage of ads, emails, posters and so on. But please, don’t let this stop you from hitting the polls on November 4th. So many people complain about the issues that plague our country, without being willing to take that first step – voting – in order to make change.
Wouldn’t you rather be part of the solution? Voting is the easiest way to make your voice heard. So to help you get ready to pull that lever on Tuesday, here are a few of the issues that are especially relevant to parents:
1. Paid Time Off for Working Families
The United States continues to lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to quality and equitable family leave, frequently ranking close to last. Family leave policies have not seen significant legislative change since the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). The 21-year-old law requires employers to provide their employees with job-protected leave for family and medical reasons including serious illness, birth of a child or the adoption of a child. Though employment is guaranteed, the leave taken remains unpaid.
Family leave and work/life balance do not have a one-size-fits-all solution and this continues to be a bipartisan issue as flexible workplaces and well-compensated employees make for better companies therefore a more robust economy. Senators Deb Fischer (R- NE), Angus King (I-ME) and Representative Martha Roby have all introduced legislation that would provide flexibility and for employees in addition to paid leave. While this issue has remained a priority for the Obama administration, in order for legislation to move forward there needs to be a Congress willing to do the heavy lifting in making work/life balance and paid family and medical leave a reality.
2. Climate Change and the Environment
No matter where you stand on climate change, there’s no debating that it will be a hot ticket on the ballot this November, as members of Congress have introduced almost 70 bills relating to this issue. The current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, Gina McCarthy emphasized why this is an especially relevant issue for parents back in June when she announced a Clean Power Plan as part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan. “Rising temperatures bring more smog, more asthma, and longer allergy seasons,” said McCarthy. “If your kid doesn’t use an inhaler, consider yourself a lucky parent, because 1 in 10 children in the U.S. suffers from asthma. Carbon pollution from power plants comes packaged with other dangerous pollutants like particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide, putting our families at even more risk.”
3. Campus Sexual Assault
According to the United States Department of Justice, around 1 in 5 women (and 1 in 16 men) are targets of attempted or completed sexual assaults. For parents sending their kids to college, the issue of campus sexual assault is even more pressing and making it easier for students to report these crimes is a priority for the United States Senate. Legislative proposals have been introduced to ensure that rate of campus assault are accurately reported to the public, specifically for prospective students and their families. The driving force for the legislation, according the bill’s sponsor, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), is to provide incentive for colleges to fix the increasingly prevalent problem.
4. Education
In the last five years, major changes have been made to the public education system from the Race to the Top program to Common Core State Standards to waivers for the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. But only one of these programs (Race to the Top) was legislated by Congress and passed into law. Overcrowding, K-12 funding and relentless testing are only a few of the concerns that have been raised. To date, education remains a key issue in this country, and one that Congress has attempted to address several times to no avail.
5. Medicaid Coverage with Complex Medical Issues
Despite the passage and implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, health care remains a struggle for many families … especially those dealing with a major illness or medical issue. Though Congress is no longer working on health care on the macro level, there have been steps to help individuals with complex medical conditions via legislative means. Proposals such as the Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act of 2014 would help coordinate care to ensure optimal outcomes for children with medical complexity in Medicaid, while containing costs. Families with children who receive Medicaid would be able to seek care outside of their current coverage. The legislation would allow hospitals to coordinate care across state lines, which most state-run Medicaid plans are currently unable to do.
What issues are on your mind as we get close to Election Day? Share your thoughts in the comments section.