IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 605 
Recognizing that the United States needs to support and strengthen mothers 
in the workforce by investing in the Mom Economy. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 20, 2023 
Ms. MENG submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing that the United States needs to support and 
strengthen mothers in the workforce by investing in the 
Mom Economy. 
Whereas mothers are an essential part of the American work-
force and the United States economy; 
Whereas 2,500,000 women left the workforce in the first year 
of the COVID–19 pandemic, compared with 1,800,000 
men, largely as a result of the burdens of childcare, work, 
and remote learning; 
Whereas maternal employment fell by 15.7 percent as a re-
sult of the COVID–19 pandemic, compared to paternal 
employment which fell by 9.6 percent in the same time 
period; 
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•HRES 605 IH 
Whereas at least 4 out of every 10 women report having ex-
perienced gender discrimination at work; 
Whereas, on average, women are paid 77 cents for every dol-
lar paid to men; 
Whereas Black women, Latinas, Native women, and many 
communities of Asian-American Pacific-Islander women 
experience higher poverty rates and higher wage gaps 
compared to White, non-Hispanic men; 
Whereas women occupy close to two-thirds of jobs that pay 
the Federal minimum wage or just a few dollars above 
it; 
Whereas even 1 percent of mothers leaving the workforce 
would result in an estimated $8,700,000,000 economic 
fallout for families; 
Whereas strong investments in childcare are essential for 
women’s full employment, and United States gross do-
mestic product would increase by 10 to 15 basis points 
with such investments; 
Whereas half of families in the United States with children 
under the age of 18 have a mother who contributes at 
least 40 percent of household earnings; 
Whereas mothers of color play a vital role in the financial 
stability of their families with 79 percent of Black moth-
ers, 64 percent of Native American mothers, 49 percent 
of Latina mothers, and 43 percent of Asian-American 
and Pacific-Islander mothers serving as breadwinners; 
Whereas, in addition to the economic security that mothers 
provide for their families, mothers are more than 3 times 
as likely as fathers to be responsible for most of the 
housework and caregiving in their households; 
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•HRES 605 IH 
Whereas, in addition to caregiving for children, mothers dis-
proportionately shoulder unpaid caregiving responsibil-
ities for older relatives and other family members with 
disabilities; 
Whereas women are twice as likely as men to say that taking 
time off had a negative impact on their professional de-
velopment; 
Whereas industries dominated by women disproportionately 
fail to provide family-friendly workplace benefits like paid 
family and medical leave, health insurance, and retire-
ment plans; 
Whereas 44 percent of workers are not eligible for unpaid, 
job-protected leave for specified family and medical rea-
sons as provided for by the Family and Medical Leave 
Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.); 
Whereas 3 out of 10 women without access to paid leave exit 
the workforce after giving birth; 
Whereas paid leave policies can reduce the number of women 
leaving their jobs by 20 percent in the first year after 
welcoming a child and up to 50 percent after 5 years; 
Whereas mothers sometimes find childcare costs are almost 
as much as their paychecks, creating a financial incentive 
for mothers to leave the workforce in exchange for 
childcare duties; 
Whereas 40 percent of parents have gone into debt due to the 
high costs of childcare; 
Whereas the childcare crisis costs the United States 
$122,000,000,000 each year, including $78,000,000,000 
in 
lost 
earnings 
and 
job 
search 
expenses, 
$23,000,000,000 in lost workforce productivity, and 
$21,000,000,000 in lost tax revenue; 
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