Within weeks of their birth, these newborns made their debut in our workplaces and held court in the United States Senate and the California State Assembly. In the process, they made history, becoming the first (opens in new tab) and youngest child (opens in new tab), respectively, on the floor of the Congress we serve.

But we cannot take our daughters to the office every day. And every time we leave our daughters, we have been plagued by the thoughts that haunt many other parents when they leave their children to go to work: What is going on with the children at home? Are they falling behind in school? But what more can I do when I just have my hands full?"

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the choices working parents face are even more impossible. How can nurses on the front lines (opens in new tab) juggle caring for their patients and caring for their children?"; "How can couples negotiate with someone who gives up a significant portion of his or her career and family income to stay home to educate their children and care for their aging family members? Will they?"

Deemed a "caregiving crisis" or "child care crisis," this struggle is one issue that has not been addressed much during this election cycle. However, for millions of voters, it is the issue that most concerns them when they fill out their ballots. We cannot afford to waste time without addressing this crisis. We must add this crisis to the list of reasons to elect a president who will actually put American working families first.

Right now, our country is failing those families: in 23 states, it is cheaper to put a child in college (open in new tab) than it is to put them in a quality kindergarten. Of the 41 wealthiest countries in the world, ours is the only one that does not mandate paid leave for new parents (open in new tab). Meanwhile, only 20% of private-sector workers (open in new tab) and 26% of public-sector workers (open in new tab) get paid family leave through their employers. This leaves more than 110 million Americans without this important benefit during a pandemic: in September alone, 1.1 million people left their jobs, 80% of them women. (Open in new tab)

At this point, it is clear that the burden of the pandemic is falling disproportionately on those who can least afford it: women, people of color, and low-wage workers. We are already witnessing a widening gap in paid leave access between high-income and low-income workers. Among the highest-earning workers in the U.S. (open in new tab), only 38% take paid leave. But among our nation's lowest-paid workers, only 5% take paid family leave (open in new tab), an increase of only 2% over the past decade.

Many of these workers are also workers who cannot work remotely. Workers who are less likely to have access to affordable child care services. They are the ones who cannot take paid leave when they are sick and cannot rely on their loved ones when their young children have a fever or need help with homework. Under the current system, their families are likely to be in a similar situation.

This is no time to disappoint working families. This is not the time to exacerbate the equity gap that permeates every corner of society. As a nation, it is unreasonable for us to burden caregivers with these burdens without any help, without paid leave or family support.

What should once have been a priority (open in new tab) in the Trump administration has been abandoned. President Trump has not shown enough interest in resolving this issue in the national emergency we now face, nor does he intend to show enough interest to do so in the future. With every tweet, every scandal, every disgraceful photo op, he has shown the exact opposite, hoping to distract from the obvious reality that he has no plan to serve and protect American families.

Voters overwhelmingly support better family leave policies. In fact, polls (open in new tab) show that paid family leave is strongly supported by voters, with some voters voting for Democrats over Republicans in key House and Senate races. But it's not enough: without a president who actually cares about these families, we will not make as much progress as we deserve. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has a 10-year, $775 billion economic recovery plan (open in new tab) that includes expanding access to affordable childcare and addressing the long-term care crisis. in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has called on states to provide childcare services with the safe and effective plan to immediately provide states with the relief they need to keep child care services operating safely and effectively.

It is time to put President Trump's three-pronged circus behind us and focus on issues affecting the daily lives of Americans. Joe Biden is the only way forward for us if we want to get through this pandemic and make the economy work for everyone while implementing quality childcare policies.

Tammy Duckworth is an Illinois senator and former Assistant Secretary for Iraq War Veterans and Veterans Affairs. Buffy Wicks is a California State Assemblywoman (Bay Area), White House alumna, and a key player in Barack Obama's 2008 grassroots campaign.