[ [link removed] ]Katie Porter for Congress

John,

The Build Back Better Act will make investments in child care, higher
education, and Medicare. But we need to make sure these investments
benefit all Americans.

Last week, Rep. Mondaire Jones and I [ [link removed] ]wrote an op-ed about why the Build
Back Better Act should invest in universal programs, rather than ‘means
testing’ and only offering assistance to some.

What’s the difference between a universal program and a ‘means tested’
one?

Think of it this way: Medicare and Social Security are universal programs.
And because we all have a stake in them and they are broadly utilized,
they’re protected from budget cuts. Even Donald Trump ran on protecting
them.

Means tested programs only benefit people who qualify. The problem is,
it’s impossible to come up with a perfect formula for who is in need. And
because in California the cost of living is much higher than in other
parts of the country, when the same standard is applied to families here
and families in cheaper parts of the country, many California families who
need assistance are left behind. Means tested programs, like SNAP, also
tend to have their funding cut by Democrats and Republicans alike.

But can’t we save money by only giving assistance to those who need it
most?

Theoretically, means testing excludes people who don’t need assistance. In
reality, it often excludes the most vulnerable poor, who aren’t always
able to jump through the required hoops to prove their eligibility. Means
tested programs also cost significantly more to administer. Instead of
wasting money on bureaucracy, we should invest in programs that benefit
all of us.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in health care, child
care, and higher education. If we make big corporations and the wealthiest
pay their fair share of taxes, there’s no reason to limit our investment
in the American people.

I’m proud to continue fighting for universal programs. It’s good policy,
and it’s good politics.

Katie

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