s parents across the U.S. juggle work commitments and soaring childcare costs, a California Democrat wants Congress to offer a lifeline to struggling families, and sees a way in which it might actually happen.
On Friday, Rep. Ro Khanna plans to introduce a bill that would cap the cost of childcare at just $10 a day for every family earning under $400,000 annually. If it succeeds, the proposal could establish the U.
S. equivalent of Canada’s landmark childcare initiative, known for significantly lowering costs and improving access. Khanna’s proposal, shared exclusively with TIME ahead of its release, comes as childcare affordability has emerged as a top election issue.
Khanna acknowledged that his bill stands little chance of passing outside of one scenario: Vice President Kamala Harris defeating Donald Trump, and Democrats winning control of the House and keeping control of the Senate. If such a scenario were to materialize, he predicted the initiative would gain significant momentum. “I think Harris would back the concept,” he says in an interview in his Capitol Hill office, adding that he pitched the idea to her campaign advisors, who assured him that childcare will be a main priority of her campaign.
“I think it's a strong issue for her to highlight—how her vision is going to reduce costs for Americans.” Harris has in the first year of a child's life, a plan that Khanna supports but describes as “not enough.” Advocates argue that Khanna's bill could rein i.
