Early Childhood Education
For every $1 we invest in getting young children a high-quality child care experience, we save $7 to $17 in taxpayer expenses. Children who get a high-quality child care experience are less likely to need special education, less likely to end up in the juvenile justice system, and less likely to end up on public assistance as adults. That’s prevention at its best.
So I support investing in the Child Care Development Fund Block Grant to increase access to high-quality early learning. So every child can have a bright future. And every parent can go to work knowing their child is safe, healthy, and getting ready for Kindergarten.
Preparing for Emergencies
For every $1 we invest in preparing for emergencies like floods and tornadoes, we save $6 when the emergency arrives. Towns like Elba, Alabama have seen terrible destruction from flooding. There was a terrible flood in 1990, but the town was not able to afford the necessary infrastructure improvements, so additional floods devastated the town in 1994 and 1998. There’s no sense in letting the same disaster strike again and again.
That’s why I support expanding FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program and FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Program. These investments will pay for themselves while also preventing loss of life and property.
Reducing Maternal & Infant Mortality
Every life is sacred, and we must take seriously the moral obligation to protect every life. Unfortunately, Alabama has one of the nation’s highest infant mortality rates, and our maternal mortality rate has risen in recent years. The most effective way to prevent abortion is to provide women with easy and affordable contraception so they can control when they get pregnant. The most effective way to reduce the maternal and infant mortality rate is to make sure mothers have access to healthcare before, during, and after pregnancy.
That’s why I support health care policy (whether through the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid or some other innovative solution) that expands women’s access to healthcare and sexual education programs that give youth accurate information so they can understand the full consequences of the choices they face.