These are uncertain times. I see it on the faces of other parents in the carpool line and hear

it from residents at our community centers — we are worried about where our economy is

headed.

With rising costs, families worry about getting food on the table and paying rent, and they

are preparing for the worst as we brace for a potential recession.

When politicians gamble with harmful economic policies, it's working families who are hit

the hardest. And far too often, moms are the ones bearing the greatest burden.

Raising my three daughters is the joy of my life. And, as a mom, I know — as all parents do

— that having kids leads to a lifetime of love — and hard choices. In a nation where only 13

states mandate paid family leave and where moms make only 63 cents to every dollar

fathers are paid, moms are often penalized, rather than celebrated.

Economic uncertainty means Texas moms are grappling with decisions about what to

sacrifice. From baby formula to clothing to child care, rising costs make all of these

decisions that much harder. In the richest nation in the world, moms shouldn't have to

choose between basic necessities and their child's — or their own — happiness.

Our families’ sacrifices motivate me to keep fighting for all Texas families.

In Harris County, we're leading by example, offering our employees up to 12 weeks of paid

parental leave, sick leave to care for children, lactation rooms, and assistance finding child

care.

Commissioners Court has invested $84 million in federal funds from the Biden-Harris

Administration to provide free, high-quality, educational child care and help parents get

back to work. We have also eliminated county property taxes for eligible child care

providers, with the goal of passing along tuition savings to families.

In Precinct 4, we are finding other ways to take the burden off moms. We expanded our free

summer camps for kids, offer free afterschool programming, and opened a free health

clinic in partnership with the Baylor College of Medicine for youth ages 13-24.

I am proud that we are driving progress, and we will keep doubling down to advance

opportunity because that is what families deserve. Yet, the need for progress is

tremendous, and we need all levels of government and the private sector to take

meaningful action to support our moms.

We need the federal government to pass paid parental leave across the United States to

create an economy that works for everyone — especially moms. And we need to change

workplace cultures so that parents can stay home if their child is sick.

When we don't support moms, we all suffer. Four in 10 moms with children under 18 are

the primary or sole breadwinner in their family, and when moms are taken out of the

economy — so are hundreds of billions of dollars.

Let us all create the progress we deserve — starting at home. This Mother’s Day, and every

day, celebrate the contributions of your wife, mother, sister, and every woman in your life.