Commentary: The unintended consequences of the American Families Plan
Between our two families, we are raising 11 children.
Under the American Families Plan, we could start collecting up to $33,600 per year in child payments. Had this plan been in place when we became mothers, we could have pocketed up to $630,000 in total child payments, cashed in on 60 years of subsidized child care and universal pre-K, and would have enjoyed at least five years of paid family and medical leave. And we’d be eyeing up to 22 years of “free” community college for our kids.
So why do we oppose this federal largess? Because we don’t like politicians dangling dollars at families to get them to manage their affairs the way the politicians would prefer. Instead of “nudging” families into needless dependency, we’d rather lawmakers encourage families to pursue opportunities and make decisions that are best for their unique situations.
Carrie Lukas
President of Independent Women s Forum U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks from the White House on May 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
Key Takeaways
The plan’s supporters view taxing some families to pay for other people’s child care as an “investment.”
The American Families Plan would be funded on the backs of our children and they already own $67,000 apiece of the national debt.
Decades of ostensibly “pro-family” policies have proven ineffective in achieving their goals.
Between our two families, we are raising 11 children.
Under the American Families Plan, we could start collecting up to $33,600 per year in child payments. Had this plan been in place when we became mothers, we could have pocketed up to $630,000 in total child payments, cashed in on 60 years of subsidized child care and universal pre-K, and would have enjoyed at least five years of paid fam
President Joe Biden s American Families Act, announced last month, is based on this legislation, which also provides funding for universal preschool to 3- and 4-year-olds. Murray and Scott introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act in 2019, but it failed to gain traction. Biden s proposed plan varies slightly, but it s up to Congress to pass legislation putting his ideas into action.
Legislation offers tangible direct benefits for families
The bill, if implemented, would allow about three-quarters of working families in the U.S. with children under the age of 6 to access free or reduced-cost child care, according to the latest impact analysis from Rasheed Malik, a senior policy analyst for early childhood policy at American Progress.
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GOP role in a conspiracy to kill democracy exposed May 20, 2021 9:38 AM CDT By John Bachtell
A long line of voters in Park Tavern, Georgia during the primary election last June. The vote suppression bill [put in place now by the state s GOP legislature will result in fewer polling places, even longer lines, and allow the legislature to negate the choice of the voters there. | Brynn Anderson/AP
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