Global Courant 2023-04-18 23:59:48
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Tuesday to promote affordable healthcare and support workers as the White House tightens its pitch to voters ahead of an anticipated reelection announcement.
“The actions we are taking today are about dignity, safety, working families, caregivers across the country,” Biden said at a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. “And they’re good for the economy, too.”
The president called the issue “fundamental to who we are as a nation.”
The order includes more than 50 guidelines to cabinet-level agencies to take steps to improve the nation’s childcare and long-term care system, White House officials said in a conversation with reporters previewing the actions.
“Too many families struggle to afford or access high-quality care, and too many caregivers struggle to make a living doing this vitally important job,” said Susan Rice, director of the Council on Domestic Policy . “The president will not wait to take action to address our nation’s healthcare crisis.”
The order aims to improve transparency and access for home health care services, including for veterans, while raising industry standards and expanding federal coverage. It also wants to make childcare cheaper.
Biden has pushed for more affordable child care solutions since he took office and on the campaign trail before that. Improving conditions for healthcare providers was also part of his 2020 campaign, part of a healthcare agenda calling for $775 billion invested more than 10 years.
In his 2024 budget, Biden proposed spending $600 billion on childcare and early childhood education, revisiting provisions that fell during negotiations with Congress.
But persuading Congress to allocate more money to childcare has not been easy as inflationary pressures continue to weigh on the economy.
“This is a case where the president is working hard on the investment angle, has been working hard with Congress — that hasn’t worked out very well,” a senior administration official said on the phone to reporters. “He’s now focused on doing everything he can.”
Biden presented the order as a win for American workers “and good for business, too.”
“The executive order does not require new spending: it is about making sure taxpayers get the best value for the investments they are already paying for,” the president said.
Biden has said he plans to run for re-election next year, a decision likely to renew focus on the promises he made to voters in 2020.
“I can honestly say I’ve never been more optimistic about the future,” Biden said, adding, “Let’s get the job done.”
Tuesday’s executive order will set out a clear set of policy priorities while looking at improving existing practices, a staff member said on the call.
The White House downplayed Biden’s fight to free up new federal funding for childcare and caregivers.
“It’s not so much about how many dollars are unlocked. That’s how we can make the most of the federal dollars already spent,” another senior official said.
The White House has argued that the lack of access to affordable childcare has economic consequences.
Heather Boushey, a member of the Council of Economic Advisers and the chief economist of Biden’s Invest in America Cabinet, said on the call that child and home care costs are rising, preventing greater participation of women in the workforce.
An analysis by the Boston Consulting Group predicts gross domestic product losses “of nearly $300 billion a year if the United States fails to address these critical healthcare infrastructure challenges,” Boushey said.
“What we know is that the healthcare workforce supports the US workforce. And this agenda isn’t just good for families; it’s good for the economy,” she added.
