Biden: Promises Kept / Promises Broken: on Families & Children

Joe Biden: Fund "red flag" laws for family members at extreme risk

PROMISE PARTLY KEPT: (White House press release, 4/7/21): The Justice Department will publish model "red flag" legislation for states. The President urges Congress to pass an appropriate national "red flag" law, as well as legislation incentivizing states to pass "red flag" laws of their own. In the interim, the Justice Department's published model legislation will make it easier for states that want to adopt red flag laws to do so.

ANALYSIS: Legislation and funding is required to incentivize states, but Biden kept his promise on DOJ providing support.

Joe Biden: Guarantee education free from gender-based violence

PROMISE KEPT: (CNN, 3/8/21): President Joe Biden is set to sign two executive orders which will establish the White House Gender Policy Council, and address sexual violence in the education field. The orders, to be signed on International Woman's Day, are aimed at ensuring gender equality and equity throughout the federal government at a time when women, particularly Black and Latina women, are being disproportionately afflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Biden's other executive order, meanwhile, is aimed at advancing policies to guarantee education free from sexual violence.

Joe Biden: No mandatory paid family and sick leave in COVID relief

PROMISE BROKEN: (CNN March 6, 2021): Unlike Biden's initial proposal, neither bill would reinstate mandatory paid family and sick leave approved in a previous Covid relief package. But they continue to provide tax credits to employers who voluntarily choose to offer the benefit through October 1.

OnTheIssues ANALYSIS: Paid family and sick leave is mandated in 10 states: CA, CO, CT, DC, MA, NJ, NY, OR, RI, and WA.

Joe Biden: Expand the child tax credit to $3,000 for each child

PROMISE KEPT: (CNN March 6, 2021): [In the Senate stimulus plan]: In an effort to combat poverty, lawmakers would expand the child tax credit to $3,600 for each child under 6 and $3,000 for each child under age 18. The credit would also become fully refundable so more low-income parents could take advantage of it. Plus, families could receive payments monthly, rather than a lump sum once a year, which would make it easier for them to pay the bills.

Joe Biden: $39B to child care providers for COVID relief & stimulus

• Create a $25 billion emergency stabilization fund. It will provide support to those providers in danger of closing, as well as assist those who had to shut down to meet financial obligations so that they can reopen.
• Expand child-care assistance. Biden is calling for an additional $15 billion in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant program.

PROMISE KEPT: (CNN, March 6, 2021): [In the stimulus plan]: The bills would also provide about $39 billion to child care providers. The amount a provider receives would be based on operating expenses and is available to pay employees and rent, help families struggling to pay the cost, and purchase personal protective equipment and other supplies.