Everything you need to know before Biden’s big speech tonight

This piece was originally published in the April 28, 2021 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.

“[It would] represent a marked change in how Americans interact with the federal government.”

— The Washington Post on Biden’s latest plan to boost the economy and make child care, community college, and early education accessible to all Americans

It’s not enough to restore where we were before the pandemic.

President Biden’s new American Families Plan will help to build a stronger, inclusive economy that works for everyone — not just those at the top.

Share this on Twitter and Facebook to get the facts out:

IN THE NEWS

• President Biden will address a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol this evening as he prepares to wrap up his first 100 days in office. Here’s a preview of his remarks tonight:

“Now — after just 100 days — I can report to the nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength.”

• The speech will air on most major networks starting at 9:00 pm ET, or you can stream it live (and find live ASL interpretation) here on the White House YouTube channel. As always, you can follow along with our team on Twitter (@CAPAction) and like us on Facebook for the latest content and live updates during tonight’s speech.
• The White House released new details this morning on Biden’s latest policy proposal ahead of tonight’s address. The new $1.8 trillion dollar American Families Plan would make sweeping changes to our economic system and vastly expand the resources available to parents and children across the country. Included in the plan are universal free pre-k for all 3- and 4-year old kids, free community college for all, 12 weeks of guaranteed paid family leave, reduced child care costs, and more.
• As for how Biden plans to pay for the legislation, Americans for Tax Fairness said it best: “By making the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, especially Wall Street tycoons.”
• Unless you’re making upwards of $400,000/year, your taxes aren’t going to go up as a result of this plan. In fact, Biden’s plan actually includes several tax cuts that will overwhelmingly help working people and parents, including keeping the recently-expanded child tax credit in place through 2025.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• A new CNN poll found that 53% of Americans approve of the way Biden is handling the job thus far and that he has the right priorities. The poll also found that 59% of Americans say Biden is doing a good job keeping his campaign promises.
• Yesterday Biden announced that he would officially raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour for federal contractors, a move that is estimated to boost wages for nearly 400,000 workers. According to the Economic Policy Institute, roughly half of the workers affected by Biden’s executive order are women, and about half are Black or Hispanic. Next up: Raising the minimum wage for all American workers.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• There’s No Such Thing as a Low-Skill Worker by Annie Lowrey (The Atlantic)
• The Path to Higher, More Inclusive Economic Growth and Good Jobs by Andres Vinelli and Christian E. Weller (CAP)
• Top 5 takeaways from Biden’s American Families Plan by Heather Long (Washington Post)
• A Timeline of the Biden Administration’s Efforts To Support LGBTQ Equality in the First 100 Days by Caroline Medina and Theo Santos (CAP)
• Paid leave is central to Biden’s American Families Plan by Caroline Kitchener (The Lily)
• An Urgent Rescue Plan for Puerto Rico by Federico de Jesús and Laura Rodriguez (CAP)