OAN Roy Francis
UPDATED 7:58 AM – Wednesday, April 19, 2023
President Joe Biden has signed a new executive order aimed at expanding free preschool and affordable care for children, and older Americans, as well as those with disabilities, on Tuesday.
After facing resistance from Congress for his “care economy” proposals, Biden signed the order, which included over 50 actions, in the White House Rose Garden surrounded by family caregivers, people with disabilities and care givers.
As Biden continues his push for the $750 billion in funding for those areas which are included in his 2024 budget proposal to Congress, the new executive order direct almost every federal agency to increase Americans’ access to childcare and long-term care.
According to the President, the executive order also improves the “pay, job quality, and benefits” of care workers across the country.
“The actions we’re taking today are about dignity, security and peace of mind for working families and caregivers all across the country and they’re good for the economy as well,” said Biden.
The President went on to claim that the executive order does not require any new spending.
“The executive order doesn’t require any new spending,” Biden said. “It’s about making sure taxpayers get the best value for the investments they’ve already made.”
Ai-jen Poo, the president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, along with its executive director, Jenn Stowe called the order “a major step toward modernizing” the care system in the country.
“As the care workforce crisis intensifies across the country and families continue to struggle to afford care, this set of executive actions marks the all-in commitment we need to make sure care jobs are good jobs and that Americans can access care for generations to come,” their joint statement read.
The order comes as the House is sent to vote on a bill that will “lift the debt ceiling into next year, save taxpayers trillions of dollars, make us less dependent on China, and curb high inflation—all without touching Social Security or Medicare” according to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
The speaker had previously accused Biden of wanting Congress to “make room for new debt without a single sensible change” to government spending, he also warned that “America’s debt is a ticking time bomb.”
“Without exaggeration, America’s debt is a ticking time bomb that will detonate unless we take serious, responsible action,” the Speaker said.
McCarthy also noted that he has not heard from the White House on the debt limit issue since he met with the president on February 1st.
“Had the president agreed to negotiate in good faith, we’d already be done,” McCarthy said.
The Biden administration also sees the order as a way to bring up the president’s approval ratings which are at an all-time low, 39% nationally according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The White House hopes that the new executive order, which is aimed at priorities that are publicly supported, will help improve the President’s ratings heading into the 2024 election.
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