Quite often, during our journeys in motherhood, we find that we are called to some action. It’s usually in defense of our families and their needs. Whether we know it or not, advocacy is a big part of motherhood. More so when it comes to IBDMotherhood or mothering while affected by a chronic condition. We find ourselves advocating for ourselves or for those we care for consistently in a variety of ways.
Today is one of those days where moms will be called to stand up and advocate for themselves and those they love. You have seen the IBDMoms talk about legislative advocacy and have seen our social media posts from our time spent on Capitol Hill. Some of you had reached out to ask how you can get started with this advocacy work and let you know when it was time to speak up and out on behalf of mothers and patients.
Now is one of those times.
For months now, we have heard about President’s Biden plan to “Build Back Better” with a robust and ambitious infrastructure & recovery plan. The bill is being presented as a reset to the country after a continuing pandemic and ensuring that communities in the nation have a better foundation than the one they find themselves on now. Traditionally, when we think of infrastructure, we think of buildings, roadways, and bridges. However, some leaders have begun to think about infrastructure holistically. We need to ensure that Americans have the means and the basic foundation at home to participate in the jobs available to build and maintain the infrastructure. Those basic fundamental needs include family economic stability, education, green energy changes, and family health such as:
- 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave
- 2 Years of Community College for Free
- Green Energy Jobs & Tax Incentives
- Universal Pre-K
- Three Years of an Increased Child Tax Credit
- Raised Earned Income Tax Credit
- Upgrade to School Building Infrastructure
- Expand Free School Meals
- Expand Homecare for Elderly and Disabled Patients
- Adding Dental, Vision, and Hearing Coverage for Medicare Patients
As health advocates, we support many of the programs these pieces of legislation proposed by the White House and carried out by the Legislative branch because they will ensure the well-being of mothers, patients, children, and all families. These issues are non-partisan. However, the path to them can be.
The best way for our legislators to agree would be to understand what the American people need. Here is where you come in. Congress needs your stories and your requests for these programs. You can call your member, all members, or specific members you would like to lobby via telephone. You can write letters. You can share your story with us here to share with Congress. Or you can download a postcard and mail them to The Hill.
Democracy only works when we participate.
Download the PDF Files by clicking on the images you prefer:
