Biden Asks Congress for Funds to Extend Child Care Recovery
Gabriella Sanchez ‘27
In an attempt to prevent the expiration of COVID-19 aid, Biden is asking Congress to administer $16 billion in funds to help working families across America. Specifically, The Biden Administration is asking for the continuation of child-care funds, among other domestic spending requests, as Congress set aside $24 billion to keep childcare open during the pandemic. Since the last of the funds expired at the end of September, as many as 1⁄3 of childcare centers are predicted to close soon, leaving 3.2 million children without care. A decline in childcare welfare could decrease the labor force participation rate among women, as many might scale back at work or leave the workforce altogether.
Earlier in his administration, President Biden passed the American Rescue Plan’s Child Care Stabilization program, which supported over 25,000 childcare programs serving as many as 10 million children nationwide. A report released by the President’s Council of Economic Advisors found that the program saved parents with children in childcare programs $1,250 per child per year, helped hundreds of thousands of women with young children enter the workforce more quickly, and boosted the childcare workforce. Additionally, the same report concluded that around 30,000 childcare programs in rural countries received aid and 53% of providers receiving funds operated in racially diverse counties. Biden is calling on Congress to extend the program for one more year, and if approved, the money would directly go to states. However, there has been pushback from Republicans, including Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), who supports giving parents refundable tax credits instead of continuing the American Rescue Plan’s Child Care Stabilization program.
The spending request was submitted a month ago but has been postponed due to efforts on Capitol Hill to provide more aid to Israel and Ukraine. Aside from childcare grants, The Biden Administration has also asked for national security aid. The administration is seeking $1.2 billion to address fentanyl coming across the border and more than $1.5 billion in grants to states to treat opioid addiction, prevent overdoses, and improve support services. The $105 billion national security funding request asks lawmakers to approve $13.6 billion for the Department of Homeland Security. It proposes aid to Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and U.S. border security.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/10/25/biden-childcare/
