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Vox
08-07-2025
- Business
- Vox
How the GOP beat Democrats to a child care win
is a policy correspondent for Vox covering social policy. She focuses on housing, schools, homelessness, child care, and abortion rights, and has been reporting on these issues for more than a decade. President Donald Trump's recently passed Big Beautiful Bill features crippling cuts to health insurance, food stamps, and clean energy programs, yet significant new spending on child care. Lawmakers plan to invest $16 billion into three federal tax credit programs that haven't been permanently updated in decades. That a Republican-led Congress would lead on new child care spending is unusual and reflects changing political priorities, as child care becomes harder for families to afford and harder for businesses to ignore. Traditionally, social conservatives have been skeptical of federal involvement in child care, viewing it as a family responsibility rather than a government role, and fearing that subsidies could edge out private or faith-based providers. Meanwhile, fiscal conservatives have spent years pushing to shrink — not expand — domestic spending. Even Democrats, who made child care central to their social agenda, failed to deliver when they held unified control in 2021. Their sweeping Build Back Better agenda collapsed as advocates struggled to prioritize among competing demands and key lawmakers balked at the overall cost. The new child care provisions — spearheaded primarily by Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama — deliver distinct nudges toward affordability, access, and Raised the cap on Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts for the first time since 1986, from $5,000 to $7,500. These employer-sponsored accounts let families pay for eligible expenses like day care, preschool, and summer camp using pre-tax dollars. Permanently expanded the tax credit for working parents — known as the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) for the first time since 2001. The typical benefit for a dual-earner, middle-income family with two kids will increase from $1,200 to $2,100. Tripled the tax credit for businesses that help employees find or provide care, with extra incentives for small employers. This was also last updated in 2001. Modestly expanded the Child Tax Credit (which can be used for a broader array of household expenses beyond child care). They raised the maximum refundable portion from only $1,600 to $1,800 per child. Those likely to benefit from most of these investments are middle- and upper-middle-class parents, especially those with steady earnings and access to workplace benefits like flexible spending accounts. These families often face steep child care costs — median spending is around $800 per month, according to the Federal Reserve — but earn too much to qualify for most existing subsidies. Very low-income families will have much less to celebrate since the child care credits can't be claimed by households that owe little or no income tax. Lawmakers say they hope to address that gap later this year through new federal funding to a child care program that specifically serves low-income households. The new investments are being praised by more moderate advocacy organizations, including the National Child Care Association, First Five Years Fund, the Early Care & Education Consortium, Child Care Aware of America, Moms First, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 'Expanding child care tax credits in the Senate bill is a step in the right direction toward making care more affordable and accessible for families nationwide,' said Sarah Rittling, executive director of the bipartisan group First Five Years Fund. 'We appreciate the Senate's inclusion of these updates and want to thank Senator Katie Britt for her leadership.' More progressive child care advocates have instead focused their response on the expected harm of welfare cuts to children, families, and child care staff. The National Association for the Education of Young Children did not mention the new child care investments at all in its statement on the bill. Julie Kashen, director of the Century Foundation's division on women's economic justice, blasted the child care provisions for not 'giv[ing] parents more options or expand[ing] the child care sector and only giv[ing] a small number of families at most a few hundred extra dollars.' Elliot Haspel, a child care advocate and author of the Family Frontier newsletter, described the new investments as 'not game-changing, but fine' in a vacuum but emphasized that the investments don't exist in a vacuum and cautioned against celebrating small wins in the context of a broader, more harmful bill. Sen. Katie Britt questions Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on April 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by) A lobbyist who worked to secure the child care spending said that many child care-focused advocacy groups made little effort to support the push and were quick to criticize the outcome despite having failed to secure permanent federal wins under Biden. 'I don't agree with Katie Britt on everything, but we do agree on the need to prioritize child care — and that means making sure she knows her political capital was well spent,' the lobbyist said, who spoke on background to describe private conversations with lawmakers and coalition partners. 'Some of the cynicism you hear behind the scenes is, 'Should Republicans even bother doing anything on child care?' They feel like they're damned if they do, damned if they don't. If they act, they're told it wasn't generous enough, and people point to all the other bad things Republicans did — so in their view, it's a losing issue. We need to show them that it's not.' How a freshman lawmaker became the key Senate force for child care Britt, a first-term federal lawmaker, does not sit on the powerful Senate Committee on Finance, the panel responsible for writing the core elements of any reconciliation tax package. But in early 2024, she managed to turn a politically volatile moment for Republicans into a platform that significantly raised her profile within the party and earned her a degree of trust among both GOP leadership and the Trump campaign that she's still leveraging today. The catalyst was the Alabama Supreme Court's February 2024 decision declaring frozen embryos to be 'children,' a ruling that forced IVF clinics across the state to suspend services and that set off a national backlash. Republicans were caught flat-footed. Britt picked up the phone and called Donald Trump — then the party's presumptive nominee — to urge him to publicly support IVF access. Trump soon repeated her message on Fox News, calling her 'a very wonderful young senator' and effectively signaling to Republicans across the country that it was safe to back IVF without losing 'pro-life' credentials. Britt used her nationally televised response to Joe Biden's State of the Union in March 2024 to reinforce that message. Then, with Sen. Ted Cruz, she introduced the IVF Protection Act, which threatened to withhold Medicaid funds from states that banned IVF without requiring states to cover IVF or explicitly declaring that embryos are not people. The bill didn't advance, but it gave GOP lawmakers something to point to. By June, Britt and Cruz had organized a joint statement signed by all 49 Senate Republicans affirming IVF access, a symbolic show of unity that helped neutralize Democratic attacks. That stretch positioned Britt as a credible party messenger on polarizing family policy, and she's continued to lean into that role. In July 2024, she introduced a bipartisan bill with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act, aimed at expanding tax credits to reduce child care costs and increase provider supply. While the workforce aspects of the legislation have stalled, Britt lobbied hard for its core tax provisions over the last few months. She met with every member of the Senate Committee on Finance to pitch the child care tax credits as a political imperative, according to advocates involved in the process. If Republicans wanted to campaign in the fall and during the midterms on a pro-family message, she stressed to her GOP colleagues, they needed to deliver tangible policy. Britt's team pointed to polling commissioned by the women's economic security group Engage showing that 75 percent of voters said they'd be more likely to support a candidate backing the Britt-Kaine proposal. That message, combined with her reputation after the IVF fight, helped her build a coalition for child care tax credits that included not just moderates but even spending hawks like DOGE committee chair Sen. Joni Ernst. Why child care made it into BBB—and almost didn't Some of the child care ideas Congress considered were more controversial than others. Deeper investments in 45F, the employer child care tax credit that covers up to 25 percent of an employer's costs for care, was one of the more popular ideas, and it reflected a shifting consensus on child care's role in the economy. For decades, employer child care was a fairly rare, high-end perk. It usually came from large, white-collar firms offering on-site centers as a recruiting incentive. It wasn't a workforce necessity. That began to change during the pandemic when millions of working parents — especially in health care, hospitality, and manufacturing — were forced to leave jobs or reduce hours due to a total collapse of child support. Since then, businesses have become more vocal about the need for structural solutions. Last year, the US Chamber of Commerce and the federal Commerce Department co-hosted the first national Child Care Innovation Summit where employers shared how offering care benefits improved retention, reduced absenteeism, and boosted profits. Companies began lobbying for changes to 45F to allow more businesses to access it. Rep. David Kustoff, a Republican from Tennessee, introduced legislation to expand 45F early in 2024, and remained a consistent advocate as the reconciliation bill took shape. But the other major child care provision on the table — the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, which offsets care costs for working parents — had fewer champions prioritizing it. Some House Republicans, including Rep. Blake Moore of Utah, raised concerns that the CDCTC unfairly favors dual-earner households. Because the credit only applies when both parents are working or in school, social conservatives like Moore argue it penalizes stay-at-home parents. This discomfort was compounded by other proposals in the tax package, such as new Medicaid work requirements, exposing tensions within the GOP that lawmakers never really resolved. When the House passed its version of the bill, it included a modest increase to the Child Tax Credit, another pro-family benefit that can be used for a wide array of household expenses, as well as an expanded 45F credit. But the House left out expansions to the CDCTC and the pre-tax Dependent Care Assistance Program. Advocates entered Senate negotiations feeling relatively discouraged. That changed in part because of Britt's lobbying and continued pressure from business groups. Last month, over 60 local chambers of commerce and the US Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Senate leadership urging them to expand both 45F and the CDCTC. Without changes to the latter, they argued, the bill 'misses a critical chance to deliver real relief to families for whom child care remains one of the most burdensome monthly costs.' The final package included a $9.3 billion increase to the CDCTC, a $6 billion boost to DCAP, and a $700 million expansion to 45F. Still, the Senate's expansion to the Child Tax Credit proved much more modest; lawmakers raised the maximum refundable portion from only $1,600 to $1,800 per child amid intense pressure to limit new spending. Unlike the targeted child care provisions, the CTC reaches a much broader share of families, making it much more expensive to expand. Pushing the CTC higher or making it fully refundable would have added tens of billions to the bill's cost, and many GOP senators remained wary of eliminating the credit's work requirements, even if that means 17 million children are left with very little or no money. Child care advocates like Sarah Rittling say it's important to acknowledge the progress made while continuing to push for more. 'We can't control Congress or its agenda, but we feel very strongly this is an opportunity to help families and move the ball forward,' she told Vox. 'That doesn't mean we'll lay off the pedal when it comes to the annual appropriations, and we know many members of Congress aren't done either. It's on us, as advocates, to show what else still needs to be done.' This work was supported by a grant from the Bainum Family Foundation. Vox Media had full discretion over the content of this reporting.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Greenfield: Kinetic Invests $650,000 in Tornado Ravaged Town
Kinetic will add 11 miles of buried fiber to existing network and bring high-speed internet to another 610 homes and businesses Once complete, Greenfield will have 19 miles of buried fiber, covering the majority of town, and 920 fiber-eligible homes and businesses DES MOINES, Iowa, May 19, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One year after a tornado devastated Greenfield, Kinetic, a local residential and business fiber internet service provider; the Greenfield Chamber of Commerce, and Iowa state officials gathered today to break ground on the company's latest fiber expansion investment in the town. The commitment to "Build Back Better" included an additional $400,000 of private funding to complete Kinetic's fiber expansion project in Greenfield, bringing high-speed internet to an additional 610 homes and businesses, as well as adding another 60,000 feet (around 11 miles) of buried fiber to its network. Construction has already started, and once completed, Greenfield is expected to have 99,100 feet (around 19 miles) of buried fiber, covering the town, and a total of 920 homes and businesses will have access to critical high-speed internet. "Today's groundbreaking is just another step in Greenfield's comeback story, offering connectivity that is critical in opening up new opportunities in business, education, healthcare—you name it," said state Rep. Ray Sorensen. "Greenfield experienced unimaginable devastation almost one year ago today; it's something this community and all Iowans will carry with us forever. I appreciate Kinetic for their continued partnership after the storm and now as they bring new hope and possibilities to a town most deserving." Kinetic's latest fiber build in Greenfield comes on the heels of a $250,000 rebuild the company completed last fall, replacing its copper-based network infrastructure with 28,500 feet of buried fiber (about 5.4 miles) after it was destroyed by the tornado last May. As a long-standing partner to the Greenfield community, Kinetic technicians and engineers worked quickly to restore critical services after the tornado; they also identified the need to transition to a stronger, more sustainable, buried fiber optic network to better support Greenfieldians' needs. Buried cables in some communities are inherently better protected against the elements than other technologies, reducing the opportunity for loss of service, even in the face of future storms or natural disasters. "This past year we witnessed first-hand the indescribable strength of the Greenfield community. Your commitment to rebuilding is inspiring, and we're thankful to play a small role in helping you come back stronger than ever," said Patrick Brimberry, president of Kinetic's Midwest Operations. "Our investment in Greenfield is about so much more than just faster internet—it's about being a partner to this community through the good and the bad. We were with you after the tragic tornado struck one year ago, and we're still with you today, breaking ground for a brighter future." Kinetic will use its "resi-plow" technology for the build, which will increase efficiency, speed and quality of installation of fiber optic-cables, while minimizing impacts on the environment, the town, and local property. The company has invested $2 million in the technology, which also enables faster repairs and reduces downtime if the fiber is damaged. Kinetic's Greenfield fiber builds are part of a $2 billion multiyear investment strategy to dramatically expand its multi-gigabit fiber service across its 18-state footprint. For more information about Kinetic's high-speed multi-gig fiber internet, and future projects, visit ### About Kinetic: Kinetic, a Windstream company, offers reliable fiber-based broadband to consumers and small to medium-sized businesses in 18 states. The company's quality-first approach connects customers to new opportunities and possibilities by delivering a full suite of advanced communications services backed by robust security and friendly customer success experts. Kinetic is focused on expanding its fiber network and bridging the digital divide to deliver modern solutions to customers in underserved areas. Additional information about Kinetic is available via our customer portal at or The company also offers managed cloud communications and security services to mid-to-large enterprises, government entities and educational institutions across the U.S. as well as customized wavelength and dark fiber solutions to carriers, content providers and hyperscalers in the U.S. and Canada. Windstream is privately held and headquartered in Little Rock, Ark. Category: Kinetic View source version on Contacts Media Contact Megan Krtek Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Greenfield: Kinetic Invests $650,000 in Tornado Ravaged Town
DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One year after a tornado devastated Greenfield, Kinetic, a local residential and business fiber internet service provider; the Greenfield Chamber of Commerce, and Iowa state officials gathered today to break ground on the company's latest fiber expansion investment in the town. The commitment to 'Build Back Better' included an additional $400,000 of private funding to complete Kinetic's fiber expansion project in Greenfield, bringing high-speed internet to an additional 610 homes and businesses, as well as adding another 60,000 feet (around 11 miles) of buried fiber to its network. Construction has already started, and once completed, Greenfield is expected to have 99,100 feet (around 19 miles) of buried fiber, covering the town, and a total of 920 homes and businesses will have access to critical high-speed internet. 'Today's groundbreaking is just another step in Greenfield's comeback story, offering connectivity that is critical in opening up new opportunities in business, education, healthcare—you name it,' said state Rep. Ray Sorensen. 'Greenfield experienced unimaginable devastation almost one year ago today; it's something this community and all Iowans will carry with us forever. I appreciate Kinetic for their continued partnership after the storm and now as they bring new hope and possibilities to a town most deserving.' Kinetic's latest fiber build in Greenfield comes on the heels of a $250,000 rebuild the company completed last fall, replacing its copper-based network infrastructure with 28,500 feet of buried fiber (about 5.4 miles) after it was destroyed by the tornado last May. As a long-standing partner to the Greenfield community, Kinetic technicians and engineers worked quickly to restore critical services after the tornado; they also identified the need to transition to a stronger, more sustainable, buried fiber optic network to better support Greenfieldians' needs. Buried cables in some communities are inherently better protected against the elements than other technologies, reducing the opportunity for loss of service, even in the face of future storms or natural disasters. 'This past year we witnessed first-hand the indescribable strength of the Greenfield community. Your commitment to rebuilding is inspiring, and we're thankful to play a small role in helping you come back stronger than ever,' said Patrick Brimberry, president of Kinetic's Midwest Operations. 'Our investment in Greenfield is about so much more than just faster internet—it's about being a partner to this community through the good and the bad. We were with you after the tragic tornado struck one year ago, and we're still with you today, breaking ground for a brighter future.' Kinetic will use its 'resi-plow' technology for the build, which will increase efficiency, speed and quality of installation of fiber optic-cables, while minimizing impacts on the environment, the town, and local property. The company has invested $2 million in the technology, which also enables faster repairs and reduces downtime if the fiber is damaged. Kinetic's Greenfield fiber builds are part of a $2 billion multiyear investment strategy to dramatically expand its multi-gigabit fiber service across its 18-state footprint. For more information about Kinetic's high-speed multi-gig fiber internet, and future projects, visit ### About Kinetic: Kinetic, a Windstream company, offers reliable fiber-based broadband to consumers and small to medium-sized businesses in 18 states. The company's quality-first approach connects customers to new opportunities and possibilities by delivering a full suite of advanced communications services backed by robust security and friendly customer success experts. Kinetic is focused on expanding its fiber network and bridging the digital divide to deliver modern solutions to customers in underserved areas. Additional information about Kinetic is available via our customer portal at or The company also offers managed cloud communications and security services to mid-to-large enterprises, government entities and educational institutions across the U.S. as well as customized wavelength and dark fiber solutions to carriers, content providers and hyperscalers in the U.S. and Canada. Windstream is privately held and headquartered in Little Rock, Ark.
Technical.ly
14-05-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
A Pittsburgh community college leans into ‘mechatronics' to upskill for debt-free careers
A federally funded mechatronics lab in Pittsburgh is helping students land tech jobs quickly without taking on student debt. In Pittsburgh's shifting landscape, regional manufacturers say demand for skilled workers in the field is growing fast, but companies are struggling to fill roles, according to Justin Starr, an endowed professor of advanced technology at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC). His program aims to change that by preparing students with the skills needed to step into modern manufacturing careers, without putting them thousands of dollars in the hole. 'The story that sometimes gets lost is that manufacturing is different than it used to be,' Starr told CCAC launched a new lab for mechatronics, which is the study of mechanical, electrical and computer systems used to operate and automate modern manufacturing machines, in 2023. Backed by $1.8 million from the federal Build Back Better (BBB) Regional Challenge grant, the space is outfitted with cutting-edge robotics equipment commonly used in today's manufacturing facilities. Mechatronics students at CCAC have a graduation and job placement rate of over 90%, according to Starr, and students are walking away without debt because of the program's low cost, something that's increasingly uncommon in today's education system. 'What we do is teach students to be able to effectively operate advanced manufacturing lines so they can go out there and be the people who are building the equipment of today and tomorrow,' Starr said. Christofer Main, 21, is one of them. As a plastic extrusion technician at VEKA, a window systems manufacturer in Beaver County, Main is completing a two-year apprenticeship that allows him to work and earn a salary while studying at CCAC. Main said the program was a clear choice, especially now, when he has a baby on the way. 'With college, my wife, for example, she's $40,000 in debt,' Main said. 'I don't have $40,000 just laying around. Monthly payments are crazy. This way, I still get paid to come to school and I don't have to worry about that debt.' Fast, reliable access to a skillset that pays The program's associate degree graduation rates have fallen in recent years, but Starr said that's actually a sign of success. Students are getting the skills they need to be productive with employers after just one semester or one year. '[Students] will go get a job, and they might not stick around for a full two years,' Starr said, 'because they're making $35 an hour and they're 18 years old.' Ethan Miller, 18, another VEKA apprentice studying at CCAC, is currently making around $40,000, plus free schooling, straight out of high school. 'You can't go to college and get paid for it unless you're a football player,' Miller said. 'I can get paid to go to school, and school is free, no debt. That beats college.' For some, CCAC's program is also a path to stability in a new country. Nahid Khajazada came to Pittsburgh in 2021 after the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan. She's currently living in the city alone while her family remains overseas. After a year in CCAC's mechatronics program, she landed an internship with local startup RealBotics. Khajazada said she hopes to transfer to a four-year university and eventually start her own company. 'Here, I've learned a lot of things,' she said. 'I'm more confident with how to work with this kind of stuff.' 'Mechatronics' over 'advanced manufacturing' hooks more people Funding for CCAC's mechatronics lab comes from the New Economy Collaborative (NEC) of Southwestern Pennsylvania, which is administering $62.7 million of the BBB Regional Challenge grant. That $62.7 million is part of a broader $1 billion BBB initiative, launched in 2021 through the American Rescue Plan to spur post-pandemic economic recovery and revitalize communities impacted by decades of industrial decline. The NEC is deploying the funds through five projects across 11 counties in the region, including Pittsburgh. CCAC's mechatronics lab is part of Project Three, which focuses on upskilling workers and expanding career pathways into sectors like advanced manufacturing, a major industry in the Pittsburgh region that's driving real economic mobility, Starr said. There are over 90,000 people employed by over 2,800 manufacturing companies in the Pittsburgh region, according to data from the nonprofit organization Pittsburgh Regional Alliance. However, stigma around manufacturing remains, according to Starr. 'We have a lot of students whose parents maybe did manufacturing in the 70s and 80s, and they think it's dirty,' Starr said. 'They think it's a field where their son or daughter could get laid off if they go into it.' To get around this, CCAC uses the term mechatronics to convey that the skills it's teaching are high tech and part of the advanced manufacturing industry. The field blends traditional manufacturing skills, like wiring and mechanical drives, with advanced technologies such as programmable controllers and collaborative robots. 'Technology changes constantly,' Starr said, 'and if we're going to fill a need in the region, we need to train our students to use the equipment that either industry is using today, or that industry is going to be using tomorrow.'
San Francisco Chronicle
13-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Biden slogan costs San Ramon $120,000
The city of San Ramon has paid $120,000 to settle a suit by an activist who was criminally prosecuted in 2021 after projecting the words Build Back Better, President Joe Biden's label for his proposed economic and environmental legislation, onto the wall of City Hall. Alan Marling of Livermore was held by San Ramon police after refusing their order to take down his message. After a brief detention, he was charged with creating a public nuisance by posting a sign on city property and with obstruction of a public right-of-way. Superior Court Commissioner Jill Lifter acquitted him of both charges after a non-jury trial, saying his message was not a sign and did not block the sidewalk. Marling's civil suit accused San Ramon of violating his constitutional rights by illegally arresting him and threatening to confiscate his light projector. The city did not concede any violations in the settlement but has paid him $120,000, which includes his legal expenses in the case, attorney Donald Wagda said Monday. His actions 'did not break any law then in effect, and he never should have been criminally prosecuted for his speech,' Wagda said. For a short time on an evening in November 2021, before being halted by police, he shined #BuildBackBetter on the front wall of City Hall, above a stream of the legislation's goals: 'Affordable care, child meds, paid leave, green energy.' Marling said he wasn't trying to send a message to the city of San Ramon, which was not involved in the federal legislation, but only to use the wall, widely visible from the street, to urge the public to support Biden's plan. The settlement is 'as much of an apology as I'm going to get for infringing my freedom of speech, hopefully discouraging them from taking similar actions in the future,' he said. San Ramon City Attorney Martin Lyons said the city disagreed with Commissioner Lifter's ruling that Marling committed no violations but has reworded its ordinances to make them clearer. San Ramon agreed to the settlement after considering the costs of litigation and "the best interests of the City and its constituents," Lyons said. Build Back Better was a legislative package that included increases in health care programs for the poor and elderly, COVID-19 treatment, roads and bridges, and climate-related measures such as funding for electric vehicles and tax credits for clean energy production. Parts of it were approved by Congress, including COVID and electric-vehicle provisions, while others were blocked by Republicans and conservative Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Marling's other projections have included a flashing of 'lawless oligarch' onto the San Francisco headquarters of Elon Musk's X Corp., which Musk has since moved to Texas.
