Rep. Katie Porter calls Biden's move to split up his infrastructure package 'a big mistake'
- Rep. Katie Porter of California called Biden's move to split his infrastructure plan 'a big mistake.'
- She argued Democrats should merge family policies into a large infrastructure plan.
- Last month, Biden noted that 2 millions women had left the workforce since the pandemic started.
Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of California called President Joe Biden's decision to split up his infrastructure plan into separate jobs and family components a major error.
"This idea that there are two separate buckets, a bucket of American Jobs Plan ... and this idea he has a second plan coming soon that he's called the American Families Plan. I told the White House, 'I think this is a big mistake,'" she said in an Axios interview published Friday.
She continued: "I think it's mislabeling what you know as president to be true, which is that all of this is about our economy and economic recovery."
"Strong family policy is strong jobs policy," she said. Porter previously expressed a fear that women could be left behind in the Biden plan, CNBC reported.
Biden recently unveiled a $2.3 trillion public-works plan, the first of two plans aimed at upgrading the nation's infrastructure. The plan contains new funds to repair deteriorating roads and bridges, eliminate lead pipes from water systems, and widen the reach of broadband networks.
The second part will be known as the American Family Plan, a package expected to contain a multi-trillion investment into childcare and education. Republicans are strongly critical of the Democratic infrastructure push, arguing that its tax hikes would slam into the economy.
Last month, Biden noted that 2 millions women had left the workforce since the pandemic started.
"A lot of that is because so much extra weight of caregiving and responsibility is falling on their shoulders," he said at a White House event. "It causes women to miss work, cut hours, and leave their jobs and care for their children and aging loved ones."
"How many men are staying home and doing it, and the woman's staying in the workforce?" he asked.