Biden's infrastructure bill goes beyond roads and bridges.
 | By Ezekiel Kweku Politics Editor, Opinion |
That the United States is overdue for a large investment in infrastructure is neither new nor especially controversial. Most recently, former President Donald Trump floated the idea of a big infrastructure plan multiple times during his tenure. |
Part of the rationale for pursuing such a plan, as a political proposition, is that investing in roads, bridges, pipes and other things traditionally considered infrastructure has cross-partisan appeal. This appeal, I think, is part of the reason that a debate has been kindled over provisions in President Biden's infrastructure bill that address the "care economy": Many conservatives are on board with spending on roads and bridges but worry that the president is using the innocuous vehicle of "infrastructure" to smuggle liberal programs into the federal budget. |
Molly Kinder and Martha Ross argue in an essay this morning that Biden's proposed spending on care for children, seniors and the disabled is a radical and necessary "reimagining" of what infrastructure is. They write that the pandemic has shown us how shaky this part of the economy is, a view informed not just by their policy chops but also by personal experience — both have had to juggle child care and work over the past year, and one also had to manage care for a terminally ill parent. |
It's always gratifying when we're able to bring readers cogent intellectual arguments that also speak to the writers' personal experience. And no matter what your family situation, Molly and Martha argue that Biden's plan is good for everyone. |
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