Biden invokes LBJ as Democrats aim to expand welfare state

With President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan signed into law, Democratic lawmakers are exploring ways to ensure that generous tax credits and other key aspects of the legislation will last well beyond the pandemic itself, either through additional rounds of extensions or more permanent measures.

Democratic leaders are banking on some of the aid provisions being so popular that letting them expire would be a political nightmare, painful enough for Americans that even Republicans couldn’t stand in the way.

At the top of the list is making permanent the expanded child tax credit, a move supporters believe could generate bipartisan backing and which analysts say would cut child poverty nearly in half. But some lawmakers and outside experts expect Democrats will also fight to keep the expansions of the earned income tax credit and a second program for child and dependent care, while further extensions of food assistance and boosted unemployment benefits are also likely.