Joe Biden elaborated on his economic plan to deal with the country’s rising unemployment through a new federal child care program in the wake of the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus. The proposal came in between jabs at the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic.
“The president is supposed to care. To lead. To take responsibility. To never give up. That’s what presidents are supposed to do,” Biden said during his Tuesday afternoon remarks at an auditorium in New Castle, Delaware. “For all his bluster about his expertise on the economy, he’s unable to explain how he’ll actually help working families hit the hardest.”
Biden addressed the financial strain that individuals and families are facing in the wake of the economic damage caused by a dramatic reduction in employment and demand due to the coronavirus, outlining his plans to get millions of people back to work.
“We’re in a child care emergency, and it didn’t have to be this way. That’s why I’m calling on the president to get the facilities and resources and the equipment that are needed and get it to them now,” he said, saying families need assistance in child care should employees start returning to work, even while many schools remain closed for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Biden said his plan, announced Tuesday with an estimated cost of $775 billion, would add 5 million jobs, with many in the caregiver and early education areas. Other jobs would come from construction projects to fix and maintain public infrastructure.
“The workers are ready now,” Biden said. “These jobs can be filled now, allowing millions of workers, primarily women, to get back to work now, increasing the growth in GDP and family income.”
