Vicki Shabo Testifies Before the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis

One day after the U.S. marked one million deaths from COVID-19, Vicki Shabo testified as a policy expert in the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing on the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women workers who are paid low wages and policy solutions that can help them. Shabo urged Congress to pass protections like guaranteed paid sick time, invest in comprehensive, universal national paid family and medical leave, expand access to high-quality, affordable child care and better job quality for child care workers, and ensure workers have notice, predictability and flexibility in their schedules.

In her opening statement, Shabo said, " Pundits and business leaders often speak of a labor force ‘shortage,’ but what we really have as a country is a shortage of policies, practices and supports. This deficit forces too many people into impossible situations. Their ability to care, to stay safe, to be healthy and to protect and provide for their families is in jeopardy. And at high costs: measured in losses to families’ economic security and health, losses to businesses and losses to the economy.”

Shabo's full written testimony submitted to the committee for the hearing record is below. A video of the hearing is here, and the committee's summary of the hearing is here.