Putting Working Families First In Troubled Economic Times By Sen. Blanche L. Lincoln (D-Ark.)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), second from right, meets with CWA members from her home state during the union's legislative conference. From left is Local 6502 Pres. Ricky Belk, also secretary-treasurer of the Arkansas AFL-CIO; Robert White, executive board member of Local 6507; Cody Rickey, area vice president, Local 6171; and Linda James, secretary-treasurer, Local 6171.

Working families are the backbone of our economy and our communities. As a working mother, promoting an agenda in Congress that is more reflective of our families' needs is one of my top priorities.

My family-focused agenda in the Senate includes access to quality and affordable health care, expanding the child tax credit, enhancing long-term care, and ensuring the safety of our children.

Health care is out of reach for too many hard-working Americans. The number of uninsured in this country stands at 47 million. Moreover, the cost of health care continues to spiral out of control. For these reasons, we must look for opportunities to provide immediate relief for hardworking Americans and to find long-term solutions to our nation's health care challenges. Expanding the state children's health insurance program to reach 10 million uninsured low-income children should be at the top of list. Making broad reforms to Medicare and Medicaid is also critical so that we can fulfill the promise our government made to working Americans—that if we work hard, Medicare will be there in our golden years.

We must also continue to work to ensure that more of America's low-income, hardworking families receive the full benefit of the child tax credit. A number of working families have been disqualified for the credit because their wages have not kept up with inflation. We must support families who choose to work and encourage them to stay employed. Lowering the income threshold to qualify for the child tax credit makes sense so that low-income working families with children can receive the full benefit.

Many working parents are members of the "Sandwich Generation"— individuals who care for both their children and parents simultaneously. Six years ago, I watched my mother devote herself to the care of my father as he suffered from Alzheimer's disease, even when he could no longer remember her name or recognize her face. My family's experience is not unique, and long-term care for our loved ones can be quite costly without proper planning. I have authored legislation that creates incentives to encourage more Americans to plan for their long term care needs. Improving and modernizing the quality of care in nursing homes and long term care facilities is also a necessity to give families peace of mind.

Lastly, protecting our kids in today's multimedia age presents numerous challenges for parents. The Internet poses a difficult challenge for parents, especially the ease of access that online predators have to our living rooms. For this reason, I have introduced Internet safety legislation to help combat the tactics of online predators and provide support for parents to understand the dangers of the Internet and the risks of certain online behavior by children.

As I have throughout my Senate career, I will remain a strong voice and an advocate for working families. You have my commitment to continue to engage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to explore ways to promote family-friendly policies which will benefit workers, their children and our economy.