Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09), member of the House Education & Labor Committee, released the following statement as details of the American Families Plan became public ahead of President Joe Biden's Joint Address to Congress:
"I chose my guest for the Joint Address this evening, Aqeela Muntaqim of Mothering Justice, a mother of four young children from Macomb County, so Aqeela could have a virtual front row seat to the unveiling of the American Families Plan. Aqeela has spoken with our constituents about how the American Rescue Plan's Child Tax Credit and nutrition assistance expansion have helped her own family and how many of the provisions have helped Mothering Justice member families, while looking ahead to what more needs to be done. I know Aqeela will help our residents better understand the American Families Plan's many benefits and help us craft additional equitable policies for working families.
"As a father of four, I know firsthand how much universal preschool for three- and four-year-old children will help families in Macomb and Oakland Counties. The investments in making childcare more affordable overall and raising the wages of the workers we entrust with our precious young family members will also help alleviate the crisis of care we face.
"One day after reintroducing my America's College Promise Act to provide two years of free community college to tackle the rising cost of higher education and the crippling student debt crisis, I am grateful to see this key provision included in the American Families Plan, including investments to make historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving institutions (MSIs) more affordable.
"The pandemic has added urgency to the issue of nutrition insecurity, especially among our nation's children. I am excited to see President Biden make the summer Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program permanent and build out school meal programs across the country. I hope these provisions can be expanded upon in the legislative process to include critical programs like the Women, Infants and Children supplemental nutrition program (WIC) and my Building a Better WIC Act that will ensure WIC can make the technology updates necessary to bring the program into the 21st century.
"The White House heard our progressive calls to extend or make permanent some of the most important parts of the American Rescue Plan, including the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are making insurance premiums more affordable for Michiganders. While I welcome this investment in Americans' health care, we must do more. The past year has put into stark relief how vital access to affordable health care is—and how unequal that access remains. We must use this opportunity to expand Medicare to more older adults and provide more comprehensive coverage. And we must allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, saving precious taxpayer dollars.
"I celebrate the tremendous momentum President Biden has built in just 100 days, and I will continue to work with allies like Aqeela to learn what more we must do as we reshape our polices to center our historically under-represented and overburdened families. This is a hopeful day in America—and it is just the beginning!"
Source:https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-statement-american-families-plan
