WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will sign an executive order Tuesday to advance his policies for affordable caregiving and support workers as he gears up to announce his 2024 re-election bid.
The order will include over 50 Cabinet-level agencies to take steps toward fixing the childcare along with the long-term care systems, White House officials said in a call with reporters.
“Too many families and individuals struggle to access the affordable, high-quality care they need,” a readout from the White House said. “The cost of child care is up 26% in the last decade and more than 200 percent over the past 30 years. For the elderly or people with disabilities, long-term care costs are up 40% in the past decade.”
The order will improve transparency and access to home care services, which will also include veterans.
Biden has been pushing for affordable childcare solutions since he took office and prior to that on the campaign trail as a candidate. In his 2024 budget he previewed last month, the President proposed $600 billion in spending on child care and early education.
However, the White House acknowledges that getting funding for child care has not been easy with Congress and will likely be a fight with a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
“This is a case where the president is working hard on the investment angle, has worked hard with Congress — that has not worked out quite as well,” a senior administration official said on the call with reporters. “He is now focused on doing everything he can.”
The news comes as Biden prepares to announce his re-election campaign, which will put the focus on what he has done while in office and gives voters the chance to hold him to his promises from the 2020 run.
“I’ve already made that calculus. We’ll announce it relatively soon,” Biden told reporters when asked about his plans for 2024 after he returned from Ireland last week.
