Since January, President Joe Biden has talked a big talk about his desire to reverse the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But no amount of campaign slogans or claims that we can “build back better” can hide the fact that the impact of his budget-busting policies on everyday American life has radically differed from the prosperous comeback that was promised. 

In less than 100 days, Biden ushered through 1.9 trillion dollars for blue state bailouts and insisted upon another 2.3 trillion dollars for Green New Deal agenda items dressed up as infrastructure projects. If you do the math, that’s over four trillion dollars in proposed spending in three months. The administration marketed these proposals as essential to rebuilding but offered only pocket change in terms of actual recovery funding. 

Biden’s latest spending proposal, the American Families Plan, follows this fiscally exploitative curriculum to the letter. In what would be the second-largest expansion of the welfare state in U.S. history, this 1.8 trillion dollar proposal constitutes a sweeping overhaul of tax policy, unemployment benefits, and nearly everything in between. It also ushers in a new wave of government control, practically replacing family with federalized programs. The goal, it would seem, is to push America toward the left’s vision of the ideal “family,” where women depend on the government for help earning a living, raising their children, and making decisions about their careers.

To ease us into this new dependency mindset, the American Families Plan promises a laundry list of shiny new handouts from Pre-K to college. These mandatory payments, however, put an extreme burden on the very families the plan claims to protect. Married couples can expect higher tax rates, our national debt will skyrocket, and the economy will shrink dramatically. Big government doesn’t just hurt parents. The unintended consequences of Biden's programs will put our kids at risk too; just look at Universal Pre-K, which led to higher crime and worse outcomes for children in Canada. 

At this rate, Biden’s slogans should reflect what he’s actually doing: building bigger government.  The American Families Plan is the administration’s latest attempt to centralize control over families, schools, and businesses on the taxpayers’ dime. 

Instead of a welfare takeover, conservatives favor solutions that empower families. We want parents to have more choices, not fewer. The Trump administration’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is one clear example of a policy that put more money—and more control—back in the hands of families and businesses. The historic legislation gave every income group in Tennessee a tax cut and encouraged businesses to reinvest in the community. It spurred job growth and gave parents greater opportunity. Now, Biden wants to take those tax cuts away. 

President Biden’s government-knows-best approach is an insult to hardworking parents everywhere. American families don’t need to be treated like ATMs; they need to be empowered to make the best choices for their future. If Biden really wanted to Build Back Better, he would follow the advice of conservatives and put an end to these exploitative tax-and-spend policies.