Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) recently participated in a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing to review the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Labor. The hearing included testimony from Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer and focused on key issues impacting workforce participation, child care access, and job training initiatives.
Senator Britt opened her line of questioning by asking Secretary Chavez-DeRemer about insights gathered during her national “America at Work” tour. The Secretary emphasized that barriers to workforce entry are varied and often tied to challenges such as child care, family responsibilities, and financial constraints related to skills training.
“On the ground, the questions that I ask when I’m visiting with these American workers is, what are the barriers? How can we assist you?” said Secretary Chavez-DeRemer. “It can be families, it can be childcare, it can be funding to get the skills that they need. So, my job is to fill in those gaps.”
Senator Britt echoed similar concerns shared by constituents across Alabama, stating that workforce challenges are frequently tied to child care affordability and reliability. She emphasized the need for solutions that empower families to make choices that work for them, noting her support for bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing these barriers.
“I have a specific piece of legislation, the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act, that really puts parents back in the driver’s seat and encourages businesses, both large and small, to be a part of the solution,” Senator Britt said.
Britt also asked whether the Secretary had heard similar concerns from workers and employers across sectors, including agriculture and small business, to which Secretary Chavez-DeRemer replied, “Absolutely.”
In closing, Britt turned to the topic of expanding apprenticeship programs to grow the nation’s workforce. Secretary Chavez-DeRemer shared that the Department is working toward a goal of one million apprentices, noting a recent launch by the International Association of Firefighters.
“We have anywhere between [680,000] to 700,000 apprentices now. We want more apprentices in the pipeline,” said the Secretary.
Senator Britt’s child care legislation continues to gain bipartisan traction, with support from Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). She recently delivered remarks on the Senate floor urging lawmakers to address child care access as part of upcoming tax reform efforts.
