On September 1, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced her Working Families Agenda, a plan for Congress to prioritize legislative initiatives that help support working families in New Hampshire and across the country.  Congresswoman Kuster was joined for the announcement by a diverse group of community members, and she heard from them about their experiences and about how the challenges they face underscore the need for Congress to support working families in New Hampshire and across the country.

“We are lucky in many ways to live in a state with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country,” said Congresswoman Kuster, “But as many Granite Staters continue to face underemployment, soaring child care costs, lack of access to family leave, and so many other issues that are vital for the success of our working families, there is still work to be done to improve the quality of the jobs offered, and to ease the burden on working families who are struggling to get by. Today, I was proud to unveil my Working Families Agenda, which outlines a list of initiatives that Congress must pursue in order to support working families in the Granite State and across the country so that they can thrive in the workplace and at home.”

Kuster’s new Working Families Agenda includes initiatives to address pay equity, family leave time, and access to affordable child care and health care, among other issues. Participants in the announcement include the Executive Director of Nashua’s Adult Learning Center, a Work Readiness Coordinator from Nashua Community College, and the CEO of Lamprey Health Care, and a child care professional, among others.

“I was so grateful to hear from local advocates and experts who shared their stories today. Despite all the work that must be done to ensure our working families can succeed in this economy. Their stories inspire me and demonstrate the need for Congress to prioritize the initiatives outlined in my Working Families Agenda. When I return to Congress in the coming weeks, I will bring with me today’s conversation, share it with my colleagues, and continue to fight for these issues that are crucial to the success of working families.”

Kuster has long worked to increase accessibility to vital services like child care, health care, and affordable education that can otherwise impose a tremendous burden on working families in today’s climate. Kuster has cosponsored a number of bills to reduce the strain on working families, including the Healthy Families Act, which would require employers to provide one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, and the CARE Act, which allows more families to benefit fully from a valuable child tax credit and afford child and dependent care. During Tuesday’s event, Kuster will discuss new legislative initiatives she’ll be fighting for as part of her Working Families Agenda. Kuster has also held numerous roundtable discussions and other events throughout the district to hear from working New Hampshire families about what Congress can do to better support them, which has additionally helped shape her Agenda leading up to Tuesday’s announcement.

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