Alyssa Milano on Voting For Joe Biden: “The Challenges Facing Parents Will Finally Be Addressed”

America is in crisis. There’s a public health crisis, which has left over 190,000 fellow Americans dead and millions sick. There’s an economic crisis, which has left tens of millions of people out of work, with parents lining up for hours at food banks and wondering where their family is going to sleep if they can’t make rent. And there is a moral crisis, which has left our country reeling and in anguish over systemic racism, which continues to hold America back.

As parents, we see this every day. Our nation desperately needs a leader who can bring us together, who can guide us through this crisis, and who can build our country back better for America’s families. That’s one of many reasons why I pledged to vote for Joe Biden. He’s a man whose life – often in the face of incredible grief and adversity – has been dedicated to lifting up those around him and the American people.

And I could not have been more excited to watch alongside my daughter and son as Senator Kamala Harris accepted the vice presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention. Not only has she made history as the first Black and Indian American woman on a major party ticket, she also has the credentials to build this country back starting on day one. During her time in the Senate, she has brought attention to the alarming Black maternal mortality rate, worked to ensure healthcare is finally accessible and affordable for everyone, and took the Administration to task for tearing families apart.

A Biden-Harris administration could mean that kind of passion, advocacy, and representation at our highest levels of our government. And it could mean that the challenges facing parents – which have become even more stark in light of this pandemic – will finally be addressed.

What does that look like?

It means having a plan to get this virus under control, to safely reopen our schools, and to ensure all children have access to high-quality education during this pandemic. Biden and Harris have a five-step roadmap to do so.

It means helping parents navigate the challenges of work and family responsibilities and bringing down the cost of child care. Biden and Harris have a plan to do so. And, in fact, they would bring childcare costs for the typical family to $45 per week. That’s transformative for parents.

And it means bringing down healthcare costs so every family can access affordable, quality healthcare; expanding paid family and medical leave; addressing the gun violence epidemic facing our country with common sense solutions; and keeping families together, not tearing them apart. These are all priorities that a Biden-Harris administration would address.

I recently joined a virtual event led by Moms for Biden and Joe Mamas, moms from across the country who are working to elect Biden and Harris, and we discussed how we want nothing more than for our lives to return to normal. But Biden and Harris know we can’t just go back to the way things were, and that’s why we support them: because they are committed to steering us out of this crisis and building back an America that works for all parents and their families. And that’s also why nationwide organizations like Moms Demand Action and Lawyer Moms Action are endorsing this ticket.

But first we have to get to work: making a plan to vote early, volunteering our time, donating our money, campaigning like never before, coming together to ensure our communities get out and vote – and engaging our children. These are challenging times for parents, and I know firsthand that it has meant some tough conversations with our kids, but if we lead with love and teach our children that our leaders should lead with love and from a place of service, it’s going to be OK.

As families, we will continue to dream of a brighter tomorrow, and with the lives and livelihoods of so many on the line, we have no choice but to vote to protect our families and win this election. Together, we will.