Washington Post: “An unlikely coalition of Democrats across the ideological spectrum mounted an 11th-hour push in the final weekend before the American Rescue Plan for President Biden to go big on tackling child poverty. They prevailed over what one person involved in the process called the ‘cost police’ in Biden’s inner circle, those anxiously warning about the ballooning cost of the stimulus package. This under-the-radar success created what could be the most consequential piece of the $1.9 trillion package – one that, if made permanent, could approach the impact of the programs established under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty.”

“The sudden, unexpected creation of an approximately $120 billion social program has thrown a twist into the political landscape. Some Democrats now fear being labeled big-government spenders in the upcoming midterms. Some conservatives, on the other hand, are embracing the idea as a family-friendly measure. With the initiative expiring in a year, all but ensuring it will be a major issue in the midterms, the child poverty measure raises a central question: Are the politics of big government back? The program’s impact probably will be profound. It expands the federal child-rearing subsidy by 50 percent – and parents of toddlers will get even more. A family with two young children and no income will now get $600 a month. The parents of 90 percent of the country’s children will benefit, and 27 million children will be lifted from poverty, according to analysts.”