Joe Biden unveiled before Congress on Wednesday April 28 the main lines of his plan in favor of American families. The President of the United States intends to catch up with his country’s backwardness in health and education. Its proposals represent $ 1 trillion (824 billion euros) in new spending and $ 800 billion in tax credits.
The program is in itself revolutionary, since it includes in particular the generalization of nursery schools – for the moment limited to the most privileged -, the creation of a federal program of twelve weeks of sick leave, the free provision of the two years spent in the schools. local universities (community colleges) without means test, as well as aid for university students historical blacks (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). These proposals also include new federal spending to fight poverty.
“When this nation made twelve years of public education universal in the last century, it made us the best educated and best prepared nation in the world. But the latter has caught up and he is not expecting us. Twelve years are not enough today to compete in the XXIe century “, assured Joe Biden.
Tax shift
True to his campaign promises, Joe Biden refused to create a system of universal health coverage as advocated by independent senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders, but pledged to extend the benefits of the system created by former President Barack Obama (“Obamacare”). The latter rose to popularity after a controversial start that cost Democrats the midterm elections in both 2010 and 2014. “It’s a simple principle: health care should be a right, not a privilege in America,” assured the president on Wednesday.
After the proposal to increase the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% in order to finance a vast investment plan in infrastructure and better support for the elderly and disabled (for a total of $ 2.3 trillion ), the Democratic President is now suggesting an increase in the taxation of the richest in order to free up the necessary funds for the measures presented on Wednesday.
This tax shift has so far met with strong support from public opinion. A poll published by the Reuters news agency in 2020 showed that 64% of those questioned were in favor of “The very rich devote an additional share of their total wealth each year to support public programs.” While support was strongest among Democratic sympathizers (77%), an absolute majority of Republicans (53%) were also in favor.
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