Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Relief Plan Is More—Much More—of the Same: New law further expands a safety net that has been growing for decades

By Greg Ip. Excerpts:

"Federal income support rose by more than half to 4.3% of gross domestic product between 1979 and 2019. The safety net, far from withering in the face of austerity and neoliberalism, has survived and even flourished under presidents of both parties."

"What about the rest of the safety net? The last significant reform of Social Security was in the early 1980s, Medicare was extended to prescription drugs by President Bush, and President Obama expanded Medicaid and introduced subsidized insurance exchanges in the Affordable Care Act."

"no president in the last 40 years has raised tax rates on lower-income Americans. In fact most have lowered their tax burden. Now, 43% of households pay no federal income tax"