© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Bigger Role For Government Doesn't Mean It's 'In Your Business,' Says Biden Aide

President Biden proposed expanding the role of government in universal pre-K and free community college.
Melina Mara
/
AP
President Biden proposed expanding the role of government in universal pre-K and free community college.

Republicans have attacked President Biden's new plan to invest trillions of dollars into education and the economy as government intruding too much into the lives of Americans, but the White House says that critique is misleading.

Addressing a joint session of Congress Wednesday night, Biden unveiled a new $1.8 trillion dollar proposal that would, among other things, provide two years of free community college as well as universal preschool. He also made the case for his $2 trillion jobs plan to invest in infrastructure and retool the economy.

Republican Sen. Tim Scott, who gave his party's response to Biden's address, panned the idea as government overreach, saying Biden "wants to put Washington even more in the middle of your life from the cradle to college."

Speaking on NPR's Morning Edition, Biden's top domestic policy aide Susan Rice defended the proposal.

"To say we're getting the government in your business from cradle to college is misleading, anymore than it is to say that public education from K through 12 gets government in your business," Rice said.

Rice said it's no longer enough to have K through 12 education, and that two years of preschool and two years of college would help kids and the economy. "We're simply talking about building two years on either end of that system," she said.

Rice said "we do think the government has an important role to play in supporting research and development, in supporting job creation, in helping us transform into an economy that beats climate change, that creates thousands and millions of new jobs."

"So yes," Rice said, "there is a role for government."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR News' Brian Naylor is a correspondent on the Washington Desk. In this role, he covers politics and federal agencies.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content