After months of wrangling, the House finally passed a key piece of President Biden’s domestic agenda, the sweeping $1.7 trillion Build Back Better spending bill. The bill is the most substantial reformation of the social safety net in decades. In her speech on the House floor prior to the vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this: “Much has been said on this Floor. But the facts are these: following the vision of President Biden, guided by the expertise and energy of our Chairs, Members and staff, we have a Build Back Better bill that is historic, transformative and larger than anything we have ever done before. We are Building Back Better. With the passage of the Build Back Better Act, we, this Democratic Congress, are taking our place in the long and honorable heritage of our democracy with legislation that will be the pillar of health and financial security in America.”
The bill passed narrowly along party lines at 220 to 213. All but one Democrat, Representative Jared Golden, voted in favor of the package, with all Republicans voting no. Rep. Golden voted no signaling opposition to a provision to raise the federal tax deduction for state and local taxes. Some of the major provisions in the bill include historic investments in fighting climate change, lower prescription drug prices, expand Medicare coverage, provide universal pre-kindergarten and increase affordable housing.
The bill now heads to the Senate where it is highly anticipated that some of the provisions will be stripped down. For instance, Senator Manchin is opposed to the family paid leave provision, and it depends on when the Senate parliamentarian will finish the so-called “Byrd Bath” process, under which she determines whether key components of the bill have direct budgetary effect and can therefore pass the Senate with a simple majority. Any changes to the original bill that pass the Senate will need to be voted on again in the House. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement after the House passed the bill that the Senate “will act as quickly as possible to get this bill to President Biden’s desk and deliver help for middle-class families.” Democrats hope to have the legislation final before Christmas.
Statements from CONEG governors:
Governor Hochul Highlights Benefits of Build Back Better Act for New Yorkers
Rhode Island Governor McKee tweeted the following:
Build Back Better bill just passed by the House of Representatives includes transformative investments in child care and the care economy – delivering two years of free preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old in America;
It invests in 21st century clean energy jobs; it expands the Earned Income Tax Credit; and it makes the single largest investment in affordable housing in our history. And just as the President promised, nobody earning less than $400,000 per year will pay a penny more in taxes.
The Build Back Better bill & Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will create thousands of good union jobs across RI and provide financial relief for families. I thank @jimlangevin & @RepCicilline for their tireless advocacy and urge the Senate to quickly send the bill to @POTUS desk.