Blumenthal Applauds Biden Administration's American Families Plan
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement applauding the Biden Administration’s American Families Plan:
“This is a historic investment in our families and children—and the future of our country. The American Families Plan envisions the kind of country we ought to be, where every person has access to high quality, affordable education, childcare, and family support.”
“Investing in our country’s future starts with making sure Americans have the support they need as they start and care for their families. Providing every young child in our country with free, quality preschool education is momentous, removing an immense financial burden from parents while ensuring kids can thrive at the most crucial time in their development. Two free years of community college puts affordable, quality higher education—and high quality jobs—within reach of many young people and their families who cannot afford tens of thousands of dollars in tuition.”
“By establishing national paid family and medical leave programs—standard in other countries and soon set to be implemented in Connecticut—everyone, no matter their job, would have the ability to care for their child when they come into this world and to prioritize their health. I’m pleased the Biden Administration recognizes the importance of investing in child care, something I’ve heard about from parents across Connecticut and have long called for, and envisions direct support for parents struggling to afford the staggering expenses of ensuring their child is cared for while they are at work.”
“Together with the American Rescue Plan and the American Jobs Plan, the American Families Plan will turbocharge America’s recovery from the pandemic and economic crises, and set our country on a strong success path long into the future. Congress must now build on these strong first steps with even bolder legislative action. I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Administration to make sure we deliver for the American people.”
The Biden Administration’s American Families Plan includes the following proposals:
Expanding free early childhood and postsecondary education: The American Families Plan would provide universal, quality preschool to all three and four year old children. It will provide Americans with two years of free community college. It will also invest in making college more affordable for low- and middle-income students, and improve teacher training and support.
Blumenthal has long supported expanding access to affordable education, including cosponsoring the Debt Free College Act and the College for All Act, which provide avenues for students to pursue college debt free through federal matching or free public universities. Blumenthal has also cosigned a letter to the Biden Administration to increase the Pell Grant amount available to students.
Supporting children and families: The American Families Plan would provide direct support to families to ensure that low- and middle-income families have access to quality childcare and spend at most seven percent of their income on childcare. It would also create a national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program, and provide nutrition assistance to reduce childhood hunger for families who need it.
Blumenthal is a cosponsor of the Family And Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, which would establish a national paid leave program and would allow people to receive a portion of their pay when they need time away from their jobs for family or medical reasons – resulting in significant benefits for their families, businesses and our economy.
Extending tax cuts for families with children and workers: The American Families Plan would extend critical tax cuts that benefit lower- and middle-income families and workers from the American Rescue Plan, including the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. It would also extend the expanded health insurance tax credits in the American Rescue Plan to lower health insurance costs and ensure more uninsured Americans get health coverage.
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