MANCHESTER, NH. – FEBRUARY 22: Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks at the New Hampshire Democratic PartyÕs 60th McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner on February 22, 2019 in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Photo By Mary Schwalm/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren used her headlining slot at the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner Friday night to continue her push for universal child care.
The Massachusetts Democrat returned to the Granite State for the second time since declaring her Oval Office campaign two weeks ago.
Warren’s speech on Friday echoed the calls for “big, structural change” in Washington, D.C., that she made when announcing her 2020 bid, but this time the focus was on bringing more affordable and accessible child care to all.
Warren said the need for child care nearly sank her — twice. With daycare and babysitters not cutting it, Warren said it was her 78-year-old Aunt Bee who saved her, allowing her to pursue her career while raising her two children.
“Nobody makes it on their own, nobody,” Warren said. “And without child care, millions and millions of American families simply won’t make it.”
Warren’s plan would expand the network of locally-licensed child care, preschool and in-home child care options, and pay child care and preschool workers the same rates as public school teachers.
In New Hampshire, the typical family with two young children pays $21,000 on average per year for child care, Warren said. Under her plan, that family would pay a maximum of about $6,000. For a family of four making under $50,000, or a single mother earning $30,000, the program would be completely free, she said.
Funding would come from Warren’s proposed ultra-millionaire tax, through which families with a net worth of more than $50 million would pay a 2 percent tax.
“That one change – one change – would bring in all the money we would need to completely cover the cost of this universal child care and early education plan – and still have a couple of trillion dollars left over,” Warren said from prepared remarks.
Warren’s speech drew a few standing ovations from the assembled crowd of Democrats in Manchester. The 100 Club has been a regular stomping ground for presidential hopefuls, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.
Warren will make several campaign stops in the Granite State on Saturday.