CLC Press Release: The Child Labor Coalition Announces the 2024 Congressional Champions of Child Labor Protections for Taking Bold Action Against Child Labor Exploitation
For Immediate Release: October 31, 2024
Contact: Reid Maki (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
Washington, D.C. – The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) is proud to announce the 25 recipients of the 2024 Congressional Champions of Child Labor Protections who have taken a stand against the troubling rise of child labor exploitation during the 118th Congress. During a period in which child workers were increasingly found working illegally in factory settings across the U.S., these legislators responded by strengthening child labor protections – either by introducing new legislation or cosponsoring child labor bills endorsed by the Child Labor Coalition.
“Over the last two years, child labor protections have faced unprecedented threats as over 30 states sought to weaken regulations on the hours children can work and the types of hazardous work children can perform,” says Reid Maki, Director of Child Labor Advocacy at the Child Labor Coalition.
“We are fortunate these stalwart lawmakers worked to strengthen child labor protections and enforcement,” says CLC chair Sally Greenberg, who is also the CEO of the National Consumers League. “These bills provide creative and much-needed solutions to our widespread child labor problem.”
Recent Department of Labor data show child labor violations have soared by 472% between 2015 and 2023, highlighting cases where minors are subjected to grueling hours, hazardous work environments, and, in some tragic cases, loss of limbs and fatalities. Against this backdrop, these 25 Congressional Champions have supported legislation aimed at protecting child laborers and ensuring compliance with federal child labor laws.
Congress responded robustly with at least eight pieces of legislation addressing child labor that the CLC has endorsed. “Much of this legislation would significantly increase civil monetary fines for child labor violations – not just by a little, but often by a factor of 10,” says CLC’s Maki. “We saw several innovative and comprehensive responses in bills like “Children Harmed in Life-Threatening or Dangerous (CHILD) Labor Act of 2023, by Senator Casey (D-PA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). Similarly, H.R. 4440, the “Protecting Children Act” by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), called for innovative and sweeping strategies against child labor.
Congress also sought to protect exploited child farmworkers with “The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety,” introduced by Raul Ruiz (D-CA) in the House and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) in the Senate. “This was the first Senate bill to protect vulnerable child farmworkers in two decades,” said Maki.
Child labor on U.S. tobacco farms would be banned by the “Children Don’t Belong on Tobacco Farms Act,” from Senator Durbin and Rep. DeLauro. “Child tobacco workers are subjected to toxic nicotine levels while they work. We’re so grateful that Senator Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. DeLauro (D-CT) are trying to tackle this long-standing problem,” said Greenberg.
The CLC, representing 36 dedicated organizations, including Human Rights Watch and America’s largest union, the National Education Association, has named seven Senators and 18 members of the House Representatives as the 2024 Congressional Champions of Child Labor Protections.
We are recognizing five members of the Senate for introducing legislation to improve child labor enforcement efforts or increase child labor protections:
- Corey Booker (D-NJ)
- Robert Casey (D-PA)
- Richard Durbin (D-IL)
- Ben Ray Luján (D-NM)
- Brian Schatz (D-HI)
