WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Biden administration says the American Families Plan invests in human infrastructure by creating new public options for health insurance.
“That public plan, the public option, will be available throughout the country to make sure there’s good competition among the various insurers to make sure that consumers, Americans, are getting the best price,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Becerra said the plan would provide coverage similar to Medicare.
The White House said the Americans Families Plan would also provide free preschool, free community college and paid family medical leave.
“COVID really unmasked the unfairness of some families who have to work to be able to pay the rent or the mortgage, feed the family — yet can’t go to work because their children were not able to go to school,” said Becerra.
The Biden administration wants to ensure low and middle income families don’t pay more than 7% of their income for childcare.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the plan’s $2 trillion price tag is far too expensive.
“Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle just can’t resist stretching out the pandemic, using it as a rational for additional spending far beyond what is best for the country,” McConnell said.
Republicans say they want to focus on traditional infrastructure.