WASHINGTON D.C. (WKZO AM/FM) — As he marks 100 days in office today, President Joe Biden laid out sweeping plans last night in his first address to Congress. The $1.8 trillion American Families Plan would extend the beefed-up child tax credit through 2025, provide direct support to families for child care, create a national paid family and medical leave for workers, and provide free community college and universal pre-school.
His address received mixed reviews from Michigan lawmakers. Governor Whitmer said that his agenda makes game-changing investments in fundamental issues that she also ran on. Republicans, including Representatives Fred Upton and Peter Meijer from West Michigan, both criticized the amount of spending included. Upton says that now is not the time to propose trillions in “pipe-dream spending”. Meijer said it’s a very large number without much clarity on how it’s going to be spent or what it aims to achieve.
Even progressive Democrats had some criticism including Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Detroit who said the President’s proposal falls short of the “bold” and more aggressive policies needed to swiftly transform the system and move families out of generational poverty.
With only about 200 in attendance, the scaled-down event included just three Michigan lawmakers, all Democrats. In attendance were Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Representatives Debbie Dingell and Brenda Lawrence, both from southeast Michigan.
