- Rep. California’s Katie Porter calls Biden’s move to split its infrastructure plan “a big mistake.”
- She argued that Democrats should merge family policies into a major infrastructure plan.
- Last month, Biden noted that 2 million women had left the workforce since the pandemic began.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
California Democratic Representative Katie Porter calls President Joe Biden’s decision to split his infrastructure plan into separate jobs and family components a big mistake.
‘This idea that there are two separate buckets, a bucket of American Jobs Plan … and this idea, he soon has a second plan he calls the American Families Plan. I told the White House, ‘I think this is a big plan mistake,’ ‘she said in an Axios interview published Friday.
She continued: “I think it’s wrong to be true what you know as president, it’s about our economy and economic recovery.”
“Strong family policy is a strong work policy,” she said. Porter had earlier expressed his fear that women might be left behind in the Biden plan, CNBC reported.
Biden recently unveiled a $ 2.3 billion public works plan, the first of two plans aimed at upgrading the country’s infrastructure. The plan includes new funds to repair deteriorating roads and bridges, remove lead pipes from water systems and expand broadband networks.
The second part will be known as the American Family Plan, a package that is expected to include an investment of more than a trillion in child care and education. Republicans are strongly critical of the Democratic infrastructure, arguing that its tax increases will penetrate the economy.
Last month, Biden noted that 2 million women had left the workforce since the pandemic began.
“A lot of it is because so much extra weight of care and responsibility falls on their shoulders,” he said during a White House event. “It causes women to miss work, cut back on hours and leave their jobs and look after their children and older loved ones.”
“How many men stay at home and do it, and the woman stays in the labor force?” he asked.