During the State of the Union address on March 1, President Biden highlighted national challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and urged congressional support for his proposals to expand mental health services to all Americans.
Biden proposed a four-part Unity Agenda that includes increased mental health supports. “Let’s take on mental health,” he said, “especially among our children,聽whose lives and education have been turned upside down.”
In a issued prior to the State of the Union address, the White House laid out details of the mental health proposal in the Unity Agenda, including a commitment to double the number of school mental health professionals; provide $1 billion in funding in FY 2023 for schools to hire counselors, school psychologists, and other health professionals; and make it easier for school-based mental healthcare providers to apply for Medicaid reimbursement for services.
During the address, the president called for increased privacy protections for children, including banning advertisements targeted to children and a stop to child data collection by tech companies.
Biden also highlighted his administration’s progress during his first year in office. “The American Rescue Plan gave schools money to hire teachers and help students make up for lost learning,” he said. “I urge every parent to make sure your school does just that.聽And we can all play a part — sign up to be a tutor or a mentor.”
Biden also lauded the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act passed by Congress, saying the funding will remove lead pipes to supply clean water for schools and homes and provide affordable high-speed internet for every American.
Citing the progress made on COVID-19, Biden said tools are available to “end the shutdown of schools and businesses,” adding that “our schools are open. Let’s keep it that way. Our kids need to be in school.”
Reaction
Biden’s address was met with disdain from Republicans, who expressed resistance to spending more funds and decried the administration’s actions around COVID-19 and schools.
“What happened — and is still happening — to our children over the last two years is unconscionable,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds during the Republican response to the State of the Union Address. “Learning loss. Isolation. Anxiety. Depression. In so many states, our kids have been left behind and many will never catch up.”
Reynolds said the GOP focused on keeping schools open and cited the role of increased parent participation in school operations and decision-making.
“Republicans believe that parents matter,” she said. “They have a right to know, and to have a say in, what their kids are being taught.”
Others applauded the mental health proposals included in the address.
“The health, well-being and academic recovery of students is every teacher’s priority, and the pandemic has multiplied the stresses and strains on us all,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten in a statement. “We share the president’s concerns over the mental health crisis facing our young people, including the negative effects of unbridled social media because we live with the fallout every day.”
—Charles Hendrix covers education funding and other Title I issues for LRP Publications.
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