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Concord, N.H. - Today, a group Granite Staters held a press call to discuss how during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump-Sununu agenda harms New Hampshire’s caregivers. Read excerpts from today’s press conference call: New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley: “Yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden released his plan to build a robust 21st century caregiving and education workforce. This is a plan to support our caregivers and working families by paying direct care workers better, making child care and early childhood education more affordable, and expanding access to home care for seniors and the disabled through Medicaid. Vice President Biden’s plan is a stark contrast to Donald Trump and Chris Sununu who, even during a pandemic, push their agenda that harms New Hampshire caregivers.” State Representative Gaby Grossman of Exeter: “After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration scaled back paid leave requirements for employers, allowing many companies to decline to provide sick leave for child care. Some 17.7 million health care workers were excluded from emergency paid leave, 75% of whom are women. And just this month for the second time in a year, Chris Sununu vetoed the paid family and medical leave bill. I can’t tell you how this bill would help thousands of New Hampshire families like mine be able to afford to care for their loved ones without having to worry about missing a paycheck. It’s truly upsetting that during a pandemic, Trump and Sununu are pushing an agenda that harms our caregivers.” Dr. Oge Young of Concord: “On one occasion, Chris Sununu called paid family leave a “vacation,” and he joked about the legislation when he auctioned off a copy of the bill at a Republican Party fundraiser. This may be a joke to our governor, but it is no laughing matter for the people of New Hampshire. In the same vein, President Donald Trump says he is in favor of a paid family leave plan, but his plan would not allow workers to take leave from work for family members or even care for themselves, and their jobs would not be protected. Especially during this COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear how the Trump-Sununu agenda harms families and leaves families and their caregivers behind.” Heather Ledoux of Litchfield, registered nurse: “As a nurse of 18 years, a mom, and a Granite Stater, it is devastating to see the impacts of these policies that are also supported by GOP candidates like Corky Messner, Matt Mowers, and Don Bolduc. I can say with the utmost certainty that especially now during the pandemic, the Trump-Sununu agenda harms New Hampshire caregivers…If our state had the systems in place to support working families and caregivers, this crisis may not have been so bad. But Trump and Sununu didn’t support us before the crisis, they aren’t supporting us now, and we can’t give them another chance to push their agenda that harms us after the COVID-19 crisis is over.”
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