; Whereas, in addition to the economic security that mothers provide for their families, mothers are more than 3 times as likely as fathers to be responsible for most of the housework and caregiving in their households; Whereas, in addition to caregiving for children, mothers disproportionately shoulder unpaid caregiving responsibilities for older relatives and other family members with disabilities; Whereas women are twice as likely as men to say that taking time off had a negative impact on their professional development; Whereas industries dominated by women disproportionately fail to provide family-friendly workplace benefits such as paid family and medical leave, health insurance, and retirement plans; Whereas 44 percent of workers are not eligible for unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 ( 29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq. ); Whereas 3 of 10 women without access to paid leave exit the workforce after giving birth; Whereas paid leave policies can reduce the number of women leaving their jobs by 20 percent during the first year after welcoming a child and up to 50 percent after 5 years; Whereas mothers sometimes find childcare costs are almost as much as their paychecks, creating a financial incentive for mothers to leave the workforce in exchange for childcare duties; Whereas 40 percent of parents have gone into debt due to the high costs of childcare; Whereas the childcare crisis costs the United States $122,000,000,000 each year, including $78,000,000,000 in lost earnings and job search expenses, $23,000,000,000 in lost workforce productivity, and $21,000,000,000 in lost tax revenue; Whereas a significant investment in childcare is simultaneously job creating and job enabling, creating good jobs and supporting parental employment; Whereas, by encouraging women to remain in the workforce full time, access to paid leave and childcare significantly boosts mothers' lifetime earning potential