U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) joined CBS Sunday Morning’s Tracy Smith for a discussion on child care accessibility and affordability — a topic Britt has made central to her bipartisan work in the U.S. Senate.

Appearing alongside U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Britt spoke to the economic toll of high child care costs and the urgent need for federal solutions.

“Our economy loses $122 billion a year because of affordability or accessibility of child care,” Britt said during the interview.

Smith noted, “So this isn’t just a social issue. It’s an economic issue.”

“Absolutely,” Britt replied. “Studies show that 59% of stay-at-home and part-time working parents say that they want to reenter the workforce. But this reliability, affordability, (and) accessibility issue is keeping them out of it.”

The segment highlighted childcare provisions Britt championed in the Working Families Tax Cut Act, which modernized and expanded several long-standing tax credits for the first time in nearly 25 years.

Smith noted the updates come as part of President Trump’s recently-passed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” saying that the legislation “updated child care tax credits for the first time in a quarter century” and “increased tax benefits for business and limits to flexible spending accounts.”

When asked what she would tell families struggling with the rising cost of child care, Britt responded, “We’re fighting for you. And so we’re going to keep working and keep making sure that we deliver solutions.”

Beyond the Working Families Tax Cut Act, Britt has also led on the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act, which has received bipartisan support in the Senate.

The bill includes major updates to programs such as the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), and the Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit (45F) — none of which have seen permanent updates since 2001.

Since that time, child care costs have increased by 263%, according to Britt’s office. DCAP, meanwhile, has not been modernized since 1986.

Britt’s legislative portfolio also includes measures supporting mothers and families, such as the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act, the NIH IMPROVE Act, and the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act — all focused on strengthening access to care and opportunity for women and children.

 Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].