REP. KATIE PORTER

I can probably count the number of politicians on both hands, who I feel are actually in politics for the right reasons and doing their job with honest and hard-working passion to do good and represent the people and the constituents in their areas.  Rep Katie Porter is another we could use many more of. She is a politician and lawyer who has been the US Representative from California's 47th congressional district since 2023. She also has educated this queen.  In a list of issues I have with the country, childcare is one I knew was an issue, but admittedly wasn't one I concerned myself with since I obliviously, don't have any. It wasn't till recently that a co-worker that I work with and close too has been having such trouble of late with her two young daughters. She recently has been trying to find childcare to place them in for summer, as her sister can no longer babysit them, while she and her husband work. Not given much notice from her sister, she had been scrambling to find childcare to place them, and one they can afford. When she was regaling the trials and tribulations of finding an affordable one after weeks, as she was talking to me, she was practically in tears as she was frustrated and upset, they couldn't find one they could afford. She in part felt she was letting the kids down that they couldn't even afford one to put them in. Neither parent can afford to stay home, and between the both of them, they are barely above water. I was getting upset at just listening to her story and wished I had a loose few thousand I could have floated her. She ultimately put one in childcare PARTIME...at a whooping 320 a week, FOR THREE DAYS! That breaks down to 1,280 a month, for one child, and only part time care. That is crazy. The other daughter is 6 and will remain out of childcare till school starts up. A friend of hers watches the 6yo daughter for three days, then both of them a day, and on Friday, she brings both girls into work, where they sit in the break room with their books and craft items. My point is, it's yet another basic life issue of basics that must be addressed in the next administration. And I highly doubt if a red ticket wins, we will see it. Which is why Rep Katie Porter opened my eyes to why this is not being addressed and why Biden's childcare bill wasn't passed. The woman is brilliant. In this clip I came across recently, she absolutely shreds Lindsey Burke, a right-wing Heritage Foundation official, who tries to say there's not enough money to invest in universal childcare. But like when it comes to war, we can all of a sudden "find the money". Porter delivers an unbelievable and brilliant breakdown on the nationwide need for an investment in childcare, points out how there's plenty of money available to invest in children for the future, sexism in Congress, and just why congress doesn't push these bills. And she is right. I sadly admit, since I don't have kids, it never seemed like an issue to me, but she and my co-worker made me realize how bad this issue is.

Bravo girl.

 

And just for the record I think she'd been a far better choice than Adam Shiff for that Senate seat. On another note, I'm relieved I'd admit that we get to keep Govenor Shapiro here in PA for our governor. Yes, for selfish reasons, but we keep our Democratic Gov who has only begun doing great things here and is still only beginning.