Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) criticized President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, arguing that higher import costs have added to the financial pressure on families already struggling with expensive child care.
Warren Targets Trump Tariffs Over Baby Product Costs
On Monday, in a post on X, Warren said child care was already unaffordable for many American families before Trump’s tariffs drove up prices on essential products.
“Child care was already too expensive — even before Trump’s chaotic tariffs hiked prices on everything from diaper bags to baby strollers,” Warren wrote.
She argued that American families needed greater financial relief and called for guaranteed child care to make the service more accessible.
“We owe it to American families to lower costs and provide guaranteed child care,” she added.
Child Care Costs Strained Families and Businesses
Last month, a Bank of America Institute report found that the share of U.S. households paying more than $2,000 monthly for child care had more than doubled since 2023.
Child care accounted for 8% of household income in September, above the federal affordability benchmark of 7%.
A June report by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee Minority cited a Bipartisan Policy Center estimate that the child-care crisis could cost the U.S. economy as much as $329 billion over the next decade.
It found that annual child care costs averaged $13,184 per child, while only 13% of private-sector workers received employer-provided child care benefits.
A bipartisan bill from Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) sought to improve awareness of existing child care tax benefits.
Khanna Proposed Free Child Care Plan
In September, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said he introduced the Free Childcare for America Act, which aimed to provide free child care to millions of families while allowing them to choose licensed centers, certified relatives, or stay-at-home parenting.
Khanna proposed a nearly $1 trillion, 10-year package that included a $1,000 monthly benefit for eligible stay-at-home parents with children under 3.
He suggested funding it through savings from ending the Iran war, a 5% billionaire tax, or cuts to the Pentagon budget.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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