West DSM News

U.S. first lady Jill Biden, who has a doctorate in education, visited Iowa Sept. 15 to tout the Biden administration’s efforts to assist households with young children.

Former Iowa state senatorial candidate Amber Gustafson announced the first lady’s visit, which was highlighted by remarks delivered at Des Moines Area Community College, on social media earlier this month.

“EXCITING NEWS: @FLOTUS will visit @DMACCNews in #Ankeny on Wednesday with @RepCindyAxne,” Twitter user Amber Gustafson tweeted Sept. 13.

Accompanied by Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA), Biden spoke at the Akeny campus of the DMACC where she pitched her husband’s universal preschool and free two-year community college tuition initiatives that are key parts of his $3.5 trillion "Build Back Better" agenda, We Are Iowa reported. 

An educator by profession who still teaches at a Virginia community college despite her high-profile position, Biden said improving the public education system and expanding child tax credits will help working families.

"When we give working families the support that they need, they can worry less about scraping by or they can start to think about raising their kids," the station reported the first lady as saying. "And they are able to bring their talents to businesses that need them and start new businesses or become leaders in their communities."

Biden added, “Investing in working families is the best way that we will recover from this pandemic. (President) Joe (Biden) is doing just that: he is investing in you.”

We Are Iowa reported that the first lady praised Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds’s efforts to address child care deserts in the state.