A sweeping proposal that would aid mothers during the pandemic is gaining support from big names across multiple industries, with men and women alike calling for Biden’s administration to establish a “Marshall Plan for Moms.”

What You Need To Know

  • In early January, Girls Who Code founder and CEO Reshma Saujani proposed the “Marshall Plan for Moms,” whic aims to address the high number of mothers who have left the workforce since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

  • In early February, Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) formally introduced H.Res.121 to Congress, which includes itemized proposals to address the amount of mothers who left the workforce due to the coronavirus pandemic

  • On Friday, an additional group of 50 high-powered men — including Stephen Curry, Don Cheadle, and Andrew Yang — penned a letter in the Washington Post in support of the proposal

  • Saujani and other supporters of the proposal say the American Rescue Plan is merely a “down payment” towards the overall “Marshall Plan for Moms” 

 

In early January, Girls Who Code founder and CEO Reshma Saujani took out a full-page ad in the New York Times laying out her proposal for the “Marshall Plan for Moms,” whose name is a reference to the post-World War II program that saw the United States provide billions in aid for Europe to rebuild following the protracted conflict. 

The core idea is to address the high number of women and mothers who have left the workforce since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and aims to “compensate moms for all they do to keep our economy, our country, running,” per Saujan’s website. 

The New York Times ad was co-signed by 50 high-powered women including actresses Connie Britton, Alyssa Milano, and Julianne Moore; numerous executives also penned their names alongside the letter, including Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd and CEO of Birchbox, Katia Beauchamp.

The original ad put forward two broad requests: First, that the government implement short-term monthly payments to mothers, and second, that Congress consider separate policies that address paid family leave, affordable childcare, and pay equity. 

In early February, Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) formally introduced H.Res.121 to Congress, which includes itemized proposals to address the amount of mothers who left the workforce due to the coronavirus pandemic. The bill calls for increased access to SNAP funds, recurring child benefits, and access to mental health support for mothers, among other proposals.

“Mothers, especially mothers of color, have been pushed to the brink of economic, social, and emotional collapse during the pandemic because of the existing economic and social inequalities women have long faced,” the text of the bill reads in part. 

On Friday, an additional group of 50 high-powered men — some of them fathers — took out a full-page ad in the Washington Post to voice their support for the “Marshall Plan for Moms.”

“When more than 30 years of progress for women in the workforce can be erased in 9 months, the underlying system is broken,” the letter reads in part. “It’s time to create a new structure that works for women, that respects and values their labor.” 

Some of the signatories include NBA player Stephen Curry, actor Don Cheadle, and New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang.

While the proposal has received some pushback — namely, that it excludes fathers who are also primary caregivers — supporters of the bill maintain it addresses a disparity that has long existed in the United States, but has only been worsened by the ongoing pandemic. 

A recent study by consulting firm McKinsey & Company suggests that women account for nearly 56% of workforce exits since the start of the pandemic, despite only making up approximately 48% of the overall workforce. A separate study conducted by Pew Research between February and August of last year found that mothers of children 12 years old and younger were three times as likely to lose work than fathers of children the same age.

Vice President Kamala Harris has said the pandemic created “a perfect storm for women,” telling a group of lawmakers and industry advocates last week: “the longer we wait to act, the harder it will be to bring these millions of women back into the workforce.”  

“Our economy cannot fully recover unless women can participate fully,” she continued. “I believe, I think we all believe, this is a national emergency — women leaving the workforce in these numbers is a national emergency which demands a national solution.”  

The stimulus package put forward by the Biden-Harris administration aims to alleviate some of these concerns, with relief for working families being one of the plan’s most expansive goals. The American Rescue plan includes provisions to expand tax credits for low and middle income families with children under the age of 17, extend unemployment insurance benefits, and to raise the minimum wage to $15 — a proposal also included in H.Res.121. 

But it appears unlikely that the American Rescue Plan will contain language mandating the minimum wage hike. On Thursday, the Senate’s nonpartisan parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, said Senate rules require that a federal minimum wage increase would have to be dropped from the COVID-19 bill.

And while the latest iteration of the American Rescue Plan does contain a proposal to offer a child tax credit of up to $3,600 per year for children under the age of 6, and $3,000 for children under the age of 17, Saujani says the plan is merely a “down payment” towards the overall “Marshall Plan for Moms.” 

“It’s going to put money in the hands of mothers who need it,” Saujani told CNBC of Biden’s American Rescue Plan. “But that’s not the 360-plan we need and we can’t just stop there. We have to pass legislation like paid leave, affordable day care and pay equity.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.