CALIFORNIA — President Joe Biden’s busy early months have furnished a slew of bulky spending bills that have drawn the ire of Republicans, pleased some Democrats while the progressive wing purses its lips.
Among these ambitious spending packages is the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan, which, like Biden’s other bills, spreads money over a diverse array of programs. For California, it could inject billions of dollars into several items on the education wish-list.
That includes universal preschool. The state already supports 4-year-olds of low-income families.
The University of California, Berkeley professor of education and public policy Bruce Fuller said Gov. Gavin Newsom is already looking for ways to beef it up. Fuller thinks Newsom could broaden the program to include 3-year-olds.
So far, California has only been willing to consider the program for low-income families. Biden’s plan is a change in philosophy.
“They really are blurring the boundary between the middle class and low-income families,” Fuller said. “And I think in a way that’s right because if you’re living in Culver City making $42,000, you’re not middle class.”
The money would also help pay educators in funded pre-K programs $15 an hour, which Fuller said isn’t enough to attract the most qualified candidates.
Free early education is already popular in California. The Public Policy Institute of California reports that 7 in 10 people in the state support pre-K spending. While former Gov. Jerry Brown was hesitant to bankroll such a large recurring expense, Newsom may be willing to foot the bill even without federal money.
Still, with a likely recall challenge on the horizon, Newsom will have to weigh the political benefits of touting more big spending even as the state becomes flush with cash.
Fuller said the state could bankroll all of this spending itself, but would need help with other big expenses: child care and paid family leave.
The American Families Plan would allow low-income families to spend no more than 7% of their income on child care. It’s another benefit to families who have already received a child tax credit. Those, too, would be extended in the American Families Plan.
Biden is also looking for ways to pass other aggressive bills, including infrastructure. And there’s the national debt. Right now, it sits at $28 trillion with a recent Forbes projection suggesting it could hit $89 trillion before the end of the decade.
“Trillions in new spending and new taxes is not the solution our nation needs as we recover from the pandemic,” said Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) in a statement to Spectrum News 1. “This plan will make paychecks smaller and business more expensive. Your hard-earned money should belong to you — not the federal government.”
Other items in the bill cover areas already valued by California lawmakers. The legislation would set aside money for paid family leave and childhood nutrition. The California Department of Education reports that it already distributes 6 million meals daily.
Another major piece includes health care. Successful passage of the bill would mean lowered health insurance premiums granted in the American Rescue Plan would become permanent. The administration projects that could help more than 400,000 state residents.
But passage of any bill will encounter stiff challenges. Disruption in the Republican party between Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) could undermine his ability to effectively negotiate with the White House.
“It has the political benefit of creating a bright-line distinction with the Republicans on issues that generally enjoy support from a majority of Americans,” said Mark Keppler of the Maddy Institute, in an email.
At the very least, the bill offers Biden some political protection, Keppler said, because it pays service to popular progressive items.
“Given his razor-thin majorities in both houses, he can ill afford a political battle within his own party on this issue if he wants to get this — or anything else — done,” Keppler said.