Calls for $2,400 stimulus check for moms backed by celebs including Charlize Theron and Amy Schumer
CHARLIZE THERON and Amy Schumer are among 50 women asking Joe Biden to give moms $2,400 stimulus checks during the Covid pandemic.
Female celebrities, business leaders, and activists signed an open letter to in today’s New York Times, calling for working mothers to receive increased as part of his $1.9trillion recovery plan.
The full-page ad was conceived and organized by Girls Who Code founder and CEO Reshma Saujani, who first proposed the idea in an opinion piece for The Hill on December 7.
It’s dubbed a “Marshall Plan for Moms,” a reference to the 1948 federal government initiative that ultimately spent more than $12 billion to help rebuild Europe after World War II.
Saujani also asks Biden to create a pandemic plan to give mothers financial support, as well as create policies for parental leave, affordable childcare, and pay equity.
"COVID has decimated so many of our careers. Two million of us have left the workforce, at a rate of four times that of men in September alone," the ad says.
"Millions more have been forced to cut back our hours or work around the clock to keep our jobs and be full-time caregivers.
This is not an isolated incident - it is a national crisis. You didn't create this problem, but your administration has an opportunity to fix it."
It adds: “It’s time to put a dollar figure on our labor. Motherhood isn’t a favor and it’s not a luxury. It’s a job. The first 100 days are an opportunity to define our values. So let’s start by valuing moms."
The advert also calls for a task force to pass policies addressing parental leave, affordable childcare and pay equity to support working women.
Announcing the move, Saujani tweeted: "Today, GirlsWhoCode took out a full-page ad in the nytimes xalling on the Biden administration to support moms by implementing a #MarshallPlanForMoms in the first 100 days.
"50 prominent women signed on to our letter."
In her December article, Saujani wrote that she envisions a monthly, means-tested $2,400 monthly payment "to the women who are the bedrock of our economy and society."
"Every woman in America is familiar with these scenes. But are our leaders? Are our legislators? Maybe they’re familiar, but are they really paying attention? More to the point: do they even care?" she wrote.
"Judging from the near total lack of government support provided to women and moms during the Covid-19 crisis, the answer seems to be a resounding 'no,.
Other figures to sign the letter include Alexis McGill Johnson, Julianne Moore, Tarana Burke, Whitney Wolfe Herd and Eva Longoria.
Meanwhile Americans are set to wait
As part of his $1.9trillion coronavirus relief plan, president proposed a third round of stimulus checks to help millions struggling from the economic fallout of the pandemic.
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Last week, Biden signed an executive order to speed up distribution, but according to analysts it could be months before payments actually arrive.
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Signing the order, Biden asked the Treasury Department to take steps to expand and , such as setting up online tools for claiming payments.
The $1,400 stimulus check will be added to the .