There is no doubt in stating that COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the United States. It caused tremendous harm to its citizens and the country’s economy as a whole. Many professionals lost jobs in pandemic. To alleviate the problems of its struggling citizens President Joe Biden is set to introduce his plan to improve the U.S. social safety net.
The $1.8 trillion plan is named as American Families Plan. The plan aims to expand anti-poverty measures against the backdrop of a pandemic. The plan includes efforts to make temporarily expanded tax credit permanent, implement federally-mandated paid family leave and expand nutrition assistance. Biden plans to tax high-income Americans more to raise capital for his plan.
The latest plan aims to help Americans in child care, family leave, education and more.
The Details of Plan
The American Families Plan gives priority to working and middle class American families. Through this plan President Biden wishes to make a generational investment in future. It constitutes about $1 trillion in investments and $800 billion in enhanced tax credits.
Breakdown with regards to child care
Over years, raising a child in US has become heavy on American pockets. To help the families the plan states, parents should not pay more than 7% of their income on child care for kids younger than age 5. Parents earning up to 1.5 times the median income in their state would qualify for this plan. The government plans to build supporting infrastructure to make its plan functional.
Nutritional Assistance to Children
Looking at food shortage for many low-income family children Congress passed plan to provide free and reduced-price meals. Biden wants to invest $25 billion to make the summer Pandemic-EBT permanent. A potential extension could add 9.3 million children to the plan.
Attempt to make Education Cheaper
To make education more equitable and cheaper Biden plans to invest $109 million to make two years of community college free. If the plan is implemented one can expect 75% of the average tuition cost in each state covered by the federal government. According to the White House, if all states, territories, and tribes participate, about 5.5 million students would pay nothing in tuition and fees. Biden also plans to increase Pell Grant to further assist students of low-income families.
On Family Front
The American Families Plan would offer workers a complete of 12 weeks of guaranteed paid parental, family, and private illness/safe leave by the 10th year of the program, according to a White House fact sheet.
