Biden plans to push for child care, affordable housing during Illinois visit

(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden plans to use his first visit to Illinois since taking office to talk about the need for additional investment in child care and affordable housing.

Biden plans to speak at 2 p.m. Wednesday at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake. The community college has a child care center and workforce development program.

“He will argue that to build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out we need to invest in our people by providing four additional years of public education to every student, increasing Pell Grants and investing in job training,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday morning aboard Air Force One. “You’ll also hear him talk about the fact that as a former single father he will stress that his plan will help boost child care affordability by building new child care centers and ensuring that no middle-class family pays more than 7% of their income on high-quality care for children up to age 5.”

Unveiled before an April 28 joint session of Congress, the plan sets forth $1 billion in childcare, universal pre-K for all 3-4 year-olds, free community college and paid family/medical leave initiatives and offers $800 million in tax cuts for families with children, including an “historic expansion” of the child tax credit which would be allocated monthly.

The American Families Plan extends through 2025 the American Rescue Plan’s Child Tax Credit increases to $3,000 per child 6-years and older and $3,600 per child younger than 6. Under the plan, the top individual tax rate for those earning more than $400,000 annually would increase, as would capital gains taxes.

Psaki said the president will meet with both Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

She also said the president is aware of the violence in Chicago.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Department of Justice and ATF,” Psaki said. “We stand ready to provide any assistance needed. Our thoughts go out to the two ATF agents and the Chicago Police Department officer who were wounded as well as their families and fellow agents and officers. As the president has said many times, every time a law enforcement officer pins on their shield and walks out the door they’re carrying a sacred responsibility.”

She said Biden is already looking at ways to reduce violence across the country.

“I will note that in terms of the efforts the president has underway to address the rise in violence we’ve seen over the last 18 months, including in Chicago, there are a number of steps that impact Chicago directly and specifically, including his Rescue Plan is giving cities,” she said. “Chicago alone is getting almost $1.9 billion through the Rescue Plan. Cook County is getting over $1 billion and the state government of Illinois is receiving an additional $8.13 billion.”

Psaki said Chicago will part of an intervention collaboration with other cities.

“As a part of our gun crime reduction strategy, Chicago is also taking part in a community violence intervention collaborative with 15 jurisdictions nationwide to help them invest in proven evidence based community based strategies,” she said. “And Chicago is also one of the five cities we announced recently that’s going to be, we’re going to be working with the Department of Justice is going to be working with in launching a gun trafficking strike force, there’s four other cities I should say nationwide to help interrupt gun trafficking corridors that’s sends crime to Chicago and across state lines.”

She said their travel plans have not changed when asked if they will spend more time in Chicago.

She said Biden will speak with both Lightfoot and Pritzker today.

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, welcomed Biden to Illinois.

“I’m thrilled President Joe Biden is visiting Illinois to highlight the need for his American Families Plan, a plan that invests in our kids, families and economic future. Many Illinoisans have struggled to cover basic needs and expenses, especially during the pandemic,” she said in a statement. “The American Families Plan is a once-in-a-generation investment in the foundations of middle-class prosperity: education, health care, and child care, and is supported by a majority of Americans.”

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square