San Francisco, Leading the Way
Innovation in the Heart of the City
Our faith in America's collective capacity to innovate, to succeed, and to thrive has been the bedrock of the extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit that defines San Francisco. But in building the better businesses of tomorrow, the success of American entrepreneurs must not only reflect our dedication to innovation and competitiveness, but also our commitment to community. It must protect American workers and inventors, and keep jobs and growth here, in the United States.
That is why I was thrilled to take a behind-the-scenes look at TechShop this week, a remarkable company that is revolutionizing the way we innovate in America right here in San Francisco. From 3D printers to welding equipment to—my personal favorite—a laser that can cut chocolate, TechShop is putting every tool imaginable into the hands of the most imaginative Americans, engaging, enabling, and empowering creative communities to build a brighter future.
TechShop offers much more than a workspace for today's entrepreneurs; it is a hands-on learning space for the innovators of tomorrow. Through field trips, after-school programs, K-12 workshops, and partnering with universities, TechShop is helping ensure that our students have the skills they need to create and lead the industries of the future. Creating new American jobs, as well as protecting existing ones, must be the end result of American ingenuity and innovation.
Congresswoman Pelosi visits TechShop in SoMA and witnesses first-hand how innovation and entrepreneurship is paving the way for job creation as the backbone of San Francisco's local economy.
Shoulder-to-Shoulder
With the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fresh in our minds after Monday's holiday, we should remember another remarkable voice in America's pursuit of progress, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Dr. King—his wife, Coretta Scott King, an unwavering champion of women's rights. It is from Mrs. King, and all of the other women who have fought for equality and justice throughout American history, that the House Democratic Caucus takes our continued inspiration. Their voices—and all the voices of women we hear from today—are instrumental to our economic agenda for women and families: When Women Succeed, America Succeeds.
One woman I met this week in San Francisco was Clarissa Doutherd, the executive director of Parent Voices Oakland. In front of 180 women community leaders at the African American Art and Culture Complex in San Francisco, Clarissa relayed to us her personal story, which illustrated the struggles that mothers and families face every day. Clarissa sent her young son, Xavier, to a local daycare with the assistance of a state child care subsidy, and worked full time to pull herself and her son out of poverty. However, following a round of state budget cuts, Clarissa lost her child care subsidy. Unable to meet the high costs of child care, Clarissa had to remove Xavier from daycare and resign her job. Clarissa stayed home with Xavier, preparing him for school, but without the resources that a daycare center or preschool provide for a growing child. After an uphill battle, Xavier is now in kindergarten.
Clarissa's story is one shared by millions of American families. House Democrats are working our hardest to ensure that women no longer have to choose between their children and their careers, that child care is available to every person who needs it, and that the wages of America's women are full and fair. That is why we are fighting to raise the minimum wage, and to ensure paycheck fairness for all. We are fighting to guarantee paid sick leave and for quality, affordable child care—the lynchpin for a working mother's success in the workplace.
It is a point of great pride for me that California and San Francisco are leading the nation in family friendly policies. As the first state to enact paid family leave insurance, California has given more than a million people the ability to take leave to care for a family member or to bond with a new child. The city of San Francisco and the state of California understand the importance and economic benefit of providing financial security for hardworking California women and families. It is time for America to follow suit.
Note to the House GOP
