Kamala Harris Visits New Jersey To Push For Child Care, Vaccines – Montclair, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Vice President Kamala Harris came to New Jersey on Friday with two things on her mind: child care and coronavirus vaccines.

Just days after endorsing fellow Democratic Party member Gov. Phil Murphy in his bid for re-election, Harris arrived in Essex County to speak about President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion federal spending plan, including its child care provisions. She also visited a local COVID-19 vaccine center to support the administration’s six-point pandemic recovery plan.

This is a developing story; check back for updates. Sign up for Patch email newsletters here.

Harris’ trip to New Jersey kicked off with a flight from Washington D.C. to Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday morning.

Her first public appearance of the day took place at the Ben Samuels Children’s Center at Montclair State University. During a roundtable discussion, Harris highlighted the Biden Administration’s proposed spending plan, the Build Better Act, which Congressional Democrats are hoping to pass through the reconciliation process to avoid a Republican filibuster.

The plan includes rolling out “universal preschool” for all 3- and 4-year-old children, as well as reducing the cost of child care for low- and middle-income families.

“Our nation is strongest when everyone is able to participate,” Harris said. “This is fundamentally what the issue is about when it comes to working parents.”

“In New Jersey, the average family spends 15 percent of their income on childcare,” Harris continued. “One of the issues that the President and I have been working on with the support of Congress is to say, ‘No one should spend more than 5 to 7 percent of their income on childcare,’ especially when you look at the other obligations that families have, such as putting food on the table and paying rent.”

“Nearly half of New Jersey lives in childcare deserts,” Harris said. “And we are seeing across the country these numbers.”

Sherrill said that as a working mother with four kids, child care is an issue that hits home on a personal level.

“We know the pandemic drove more than a million parents out of the workforce and strained a childcare system that was already unaffordable and unavailable to too many families,” Sherrill said. “We have an opportunity to make those key investments, and I appreciate that Vice President Harris and the White House share this critical priority.”

The struggle to make ends meet is getting worse for families and child care providers alike, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of the Treasury:

“Currently, the average family with at least one child under age 5 would need to devote about 13 percent of family income to pay for child care, a number that is unaffordable for most families. Less than 20 percent of children eligible for one of the largest federal assistance programs for low-income families, the Child Care and Development Fund, actually receives funding. Notwithstanding the high costs borne by parents, margins for child care providers are low and many struggle to make ends meet. They survive by keeping costs low. Labor, the main input, is overwhelmingly provided by women, many of whom are nonwhite, who earn low wages leading to high turnover. Many child care workers are paid so little that they rely on public services for their own economic needs.”

Here’s what the Biden Administration plans to do about it, treasury officials said:

“The president proposes to increase funding in the sector by offering universal preschool to all 3- and 4-year-old children and providing access to high-quality child care for low- and middle-income children. His child care plan will cut spending in half for most American families so that families do not have to spend more than 7 percent of their income on child care for young children by creating subsidized care and extending the expanded Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. These steps would directly address the revenue shortfalls created by the market failures we identify: liquidity constraints and the positive externalities associated with child care.”

TOURING A VACCINE SITE

On Friday afternoon, Harris continued her North Jersey tour with a visit to a COVID-19 vaccine center in Newark.

Located at Essex County College, the county-run site was one of the first operational vaccine centers in the state when it launched at the pandemic’s onset.

Essex County has been among the hardest-hit areas of New Jersey when it comes to COVID-19. Newark, the state’s most-populated city, has seen 40,539 cumulative cases and 1,054 deaths linked to the disease as of Thursday, according to data from county health officials. Read More: Essex County COVID Update (Case Totals, How To Get Vaccine)

The Biden-Harris Administration’s six-point “COVID-19 Action Plan,” which was released in September, includes:

• Vaccinating the unvaccinated
• Further protecting the vaccinated
• Keeping schools safely open
• Increasing testing and requiring masking
• Protecting our economic recovery
• Improving care for those with COVID-19

Rep. Payne, who accompanied Harris to the vaccination site in Newark, said it was an honor to welcome the vice president to the district.

“Essex County has suffered terribly during this global pandemic,” Payne said. “But I have been proud of how the county has been quick to get this vaccine site operational and provide vaccines for thousands of residents.”

The congressman noted that he recently received a booster shot, as he is over 65 and has a pre-existing medical condition.

“I received the vaccine and a booster shot to prevent COVID-19 infections for me and my family,” Payne said. “I encourage everyone to get vaccinated, so they can keep themselves and their loved ones safe.”

ENDORSEMENTS, GREETINGS AND IMMIGRATION

The vice president concluded her visit to New Jersey on Friday evening, departing back to Washington D.C. via a Newark flight.

Harris’ visit to the Garden State came just days after she and Biden endorsed Gov. Murphy’s 2021 gubernatorial bid.

The vice president touted Murphy’s accomplishments during his first term, including raising the minimum wage, and investing in public schools and clean energy jobs.

“He is the partner [that] President Joe Biden and I need in Trenton,” Harris said.

Murphy greeted the vice president in New Jersey, joining Harris on her tour throughout Essex County. Harris was also met by Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who represents the state’s 11th Congressional District, and Rep. Donald Payne Jr., who represents the 10th District.

Many people greeted the news of Harris’ arrival in New Jersey with excitement.

Others were less thrilled to hear about the vice president’s visit, with several people referencing the controversial treatment of Haitian refugees at the Texas border and asking why Harris wasn’t spending her time there, instead.

Meanwhile, a coalition of advocacy groups used Harris’ New Jersey visit to call for a “pathway to citizenship” for millions of undocumented immigrants through the reconciliation package.

“As an essential health care worker during the pandemic, I put my life at risk every day to help keep a health clinic open,” said Mariana Velasquez, a member of Make the Road New Jersey.

“But still, I fear being separated from my children,” Velasquez said. “I call on Vice President Kamala Harris to commit to using her independent authority to ensure essential workers like me who are undocumented, and millions of other undocumented immigrants in New Jersey have a pathway to citizenship through reconciliation.”

Several immigration advocacy groups released a joint statement about their demands on Friday:

“VP Harris’ visit to New Jersey — one of the most immigrant populous states in the nation — comes after the unelected Senate Parliamentarian has issued opinions again and again to exclude citizenship from the budget reconciliation package. As negotiations continue, immigrants point to Vice President Harris’ ability to change the lives of millions by ruling in favor of including citizenship, in her role as presiding officer of the Senate.”

“A pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, farmworkers and essential workers could impact at least nine million individuals, including more than 300,000 New Jerseyans,” the groups said, also calling for Harris to stop deportations to Haiti and suspend Title 42.

Send news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.