Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Democratic Women’s Caucus Leaders Push Back Against Proposal to Eliminate DOL’s Women’s Bureau

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair for Diversity & Inclusion, along with DWC Chair Lois Frankel (D-FL) and Vice Chairs Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) and Nikema Williams (D-GA), urged the House Appropriations Committee to reconsider House Republicans’ proposal to eliminate the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau — the only federal agency mandated to represent the needs of working women

“The elimination of the Women’s Bureau would be a tremendous setback for the more than 77 million working women across the country,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. “Since its inception, this agency has been at the forefront of ensuring that women have a real shot at the American Dream. These proposed funding cuts would deal a devastating blow to a growing sector of the U.S. workforce.”

“Republicans are on a quest to diminish women’s economic independence,” said DWC Chair Lois Frankel. “Their mission includes cruel restrictions on reproductive freedom, cutting child care assistance, and defunding the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau whose goal is to advance employment opportunities for women.”

“We write today to urge you to restore funding for the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau in the House Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Bill. The Women’s Bureau has been creating access to better and safer jobs for women for the past century. However, the proposed House budget would eliminate the Women’s Bureau completely, which would have a devastating impact on women and families across the country,” wrote the Members.

“There is no justification to eliminate the Women’s Bureau. The termination of the Women’s Bureau would strip the federal government of the only agency mandated by Congress to represent the needs and interests of working women. We urge you to reconsider this cut and restore funding for the Women’s Bureau as the FY24 LHHS bill moves forward,” added the Members.

“If Congress defunds the Women’s Bureau at the Department of Labor, it’s another step backward toward equality,” said National Organization for Women (NOW) National President Christian F. Nunes. “Since 1920, this bureau has been the government’s only resource that understands the true challenges working women face. The bureau’s data around equal pay and childcare costs and its grant programs, not only educates but empowers working women. There is absolutely no reason for eliminating the Women’s Bureau. NOW thanks Representatives Cherfilus-McCormick and Frankel for their leadership and implores the House Appropriations leadership not to deny support to more than 50 percent of the American workforce as they contribute their share to the U.S. economy.”

“The U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau has played an essential role in improving the status of working women and moms throughout our history, and that work is especially important right now as women – and especially women of color and moms – face a devastating wage gap, a child care crisis, and harms caused by our failure to provide paid family and medical leave,” said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO, MomsRising. “Defunding the Women’s Bureau would send a chilling message to everyone who cares about women and our economy and would rob the country of a powerful advocate for workforce fairness and opportunity. We urge you to reconsider this cut and restore its funding.”

“Slashing all funding for the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau would be devastating for all women, particularly women of color, and their families. As the only federal bureau with the sole mission of focusing on the interests of women in the workforce, its elimination could hurt women’s labor force participation, and make it harder for women to have access to workplaces that are safe and free from discrimination,” said Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “The National Partnership for Women & Families is proud to stand with lawmakers urging House Appropriations leadership to demonstrate their commitment to women in the workplace and restore funding for the Women’s Bureau immediately.”

The full letter can be found below and HERE:

Dear Chair Aderholt and Ranking Member DeLauro:

We write today to urge you to restore funding for the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau in the House Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Bill. The Women’s Bureau has been creating access to better and safer jobs for women for the past century. However, the proposed House budget would eliminate the Women’s Bureau completely, which would have a devastating impact on women and families across the country.

The Women’s Bureau is the only federal agency mandated with representing and promoting the interests of the more than 77 million women in the U.S. labor force today. The Bureau’s priorities include creating opportunities for women to enter and stay in high-paying, good-quality jobs, expanding access to paid leave and affordable child and elder care, and eliminating pay discrimination in the workplace. The Women’s Bureau furthers these goals by providing state, local, and federal agencies with technical assistance, grants, education, and outreach. The Bureau collects and shares best practices, quantitative research, and evidence-based policy analysis. For example, the Women’s Bureau created the National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP), the only federal database to provide county-by-county economic and demographic comparisons.

As investments in recent landmark pieces of legislation continue, we must ensure that women's participation is front and center. The Women’s Bureau has been deeply engaged in providing technical assistance to federal agencies funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the CHIPS and Science Act. As these laws ramp up federal investment in construction, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy – all industries in which women and women of color are vastly underrepresented – the Women’s Bureau has been supporting other federal agencies to structure their investments with the greatest potential for increasing participation among women.

For FY24, the President’s Budget Request included $32.4 million for the Women’s Bureau, including nearly $10 million in grant funding through the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) and the Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity (FARE) grant programs. WANTO grants help expand pathways for women to enter and lead in all industries, including those in which they have historically been underrepresented.

The Women’s Bureau issues FARE grants awards to non-profits who prevent and respond to gender-based violence and harassment. Anywhere from 25 to 85 percent of women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, yet most cases are never formally reported. FARE grants have reached over six million women. We must continue growing investments in these programs, and we cannot afford to erase their progress.

There is no justification to eliminate the Women’s Bureau. The termination of the Women’s Bureau would strip the federal government of the only agency mandated by Congress to represent the needs and interests of working women. We urge you to reconsider this cut and restore funding for the Women’s Bureau as the FY24 LHHS bill moves forward.

Sincerely,

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