A sharply divided House approved the Democrats’ sweeping social and environmental bill Friday, a big victory for President Joe Biden as his party moves closer to funneling billions in resources to its top domestic priorities.
The House approved the legislation by a near party-line 220-213 vote, sending the measure to a Senate where cost-cutting demands by moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and that chamber’s strict rules seem certain to force significant changes.
That will prompt fresh disputes between party centrists and progressives that will likely take weeks to resolve. Even so, House passage marked a watershed for a measure remarkable for the depth of the changes it would make in federal policies.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul highlighted what she says are six direct benefits for the people of the Empire State around family, finances, education and more to be gleaned should the Senate move forward the landmark legislative proposal.
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1. Universal Pre-K, Child Tax Credits and Paid Leave
"With a $400 billion investment in our youngest New Yorkers, nearly 300,000 3- and 4-year-olds will be able to benefit from universal pre-kindergarten," Hochul said.
"As parents return to work, this landmark investment will help ensure that quality, reliable and affordable childcare is within reach for the nearly one million young New Yorkers whose families stand to benefit from lowered childcare costs," she added. "The poverty-reducing enhanced child tax credit is extended for one year, bringing another 12 months of needed relief to our working families."
The bill also moves the rest of the U.S. closer to New York by making paid family leave a national policy. That policy has been in place in New York since 2016.
2. Real Money for the Climate Crisis
"The historic legislation makes the largest investment to combat climate change in American history, investing $550 billion to support emission-reducing technologies, economy-wide, while also drastically expanding clean energy tax credits to spur private sector development," Hochul said.
"From buildings to industry to transportation, these critical investments will help New York take significant steps towards meeting our ambitious climate mandates under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, including transitioning to a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040 and reach economy-wide carbon neutrality," the Democrat added.
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3. Affordable Healthcare
According to Hochul, New Yorkers will see the costs of life-saving prescription drugs lowered, with seniors benefiting from reduced out-of-pocket costs for needed medicines as well as comprehensive hearing benefits from Medicare.
"By extending enhanced health insurance premiums, even more New Yorkers can join the over 925,000 current enrollees in gaining affordable, quality health coverage through New York State of Health while saving hundreds of dollars per year," the governor said. "In addition, this bill makes critical and long-overdue investments in the health of our mothers and children, permanently authorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program for our nearly 400,000 enrolled children and improving maternal healthcare."
4. Help for Working Families, Students
Build Back Better provides significant investments to support working families through increased opportunities for workers and access to higher education.
Hochul says the package increases the maximum Pell Grant by $550, supporting the 340,512 students in New York who rely on Pell, while also expanding access to the over 28,000 DREAMers who call New York home.
The package also provides critical investments to support New York's 65 minority-serving institutions and the students they serve, she says. Beyond the classroom, the package provides over $50 billion in critical funding to train hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in the jobs of tomorrow by investing in proven programs including registered apprenticeships and other job training that prepare individuals for high-quality jobs, according to Hochul.
5. Housing Access
"By investing $150 billion in the construction and preservation of affordable housing options, New Yorkers will have safe and resilient homes," Hochul said Friday.
"For the 1.7 million renters in New York, the Build Back Better Act increases high-quality housing through new construction incentives, providing much-needed funds to rehabilitate existing housing units including the capital needs backlog accumulated at NYCHA's 326 public housing developments and adding billions in new housing vouchers to support renters," she added.
6. Addressing the SALT Cap
The Democratic governor of New York says Biden's bill takes steps toward addressing the "devastating fiscal impacts to both state and local government caused by the cap on the State and Local Tax deduction."
"By increasing the cap from $10,000 to $80,000, New York communities will be able to raise more revenue, ensuring our ability to provide the public services New Yorkers depend on, like emergency services, public health, and infrastructure development," Hochul said.
Learn more about the Build Back Better Act here.
