{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcdonaldrivet.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-mcdonald-rivet-kiggans-introduce-bill-expand-access-affordable-child-care", "Reps. McDonald Rivet, Kiggans Introduce Bill to Expand Access to Affordable Child Care", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "MI", "Kristen McDonald Rivet", "M001237", "mcdonaldrivet.house.gov", "mcdonaldrivet", "https://mcdonaldrivet.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014 Today, Congresswomen Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) and Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the bipartisan Child Care Access & Affordability Act. This bill, supported by Democrats and Republicans, would investigate the factors contributing to the lack of affordable and accessible child care in the United States.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s becoming nearly impossible for working parents to get child care. They\u2019re shown monthly bills that look like mortgage payments, and some waitlists are so long, kids age out before they\u2019d be admitted,\u201d said Congresswoman McDonald Rivet. \u201cFor kids, parents, and a functioning workforce, we need to address the child care crisis head-on and with courage. Our bipartisan effort is an important start to lowering costs, increasing access, and supporting working parents.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor too many families, finding affordable, reliable childcare has become a barrier to opportunity. The Child Care Access & Affordability Act takes an important step by getting us the facts we need to fix a system that\u2019s simply not working,\u201d said Congresswoman Kiggans. \u201cBy directing the GAO to examine long waitlists, complex eligibility rules, and the strain rising costs put on both parents and providers, we can better understand where the gaps are and how to close them. Access to childcare isn\u2019t a luxury\u2014it\u2019s essential for working families, for our economy, and for helping parents get ahead.\u201d\n\nThe Child Care Access & Affordability Act would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to produce a report on issues families encounter when searching for child care. Specifically, the GAO report would explore the difficulties families have in meeting state Child Care & Development Block Grant eligibility standards, the extent of waitlists for child care, state subsidies for child care providers, and the impact of inflation on child care affordability and accessibility.", 1, "2026-03-31T05:33:41Z", "2026-03-31T05:34:51Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcdonaldrivet.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-mcdonald-rivet-kiggans-introduce-bill-expand-access-affordable-child-care"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6605160888284445, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}