iStock
On Friday, after it became clear that progressive Democrats were holding firm, House leaders decided to delay a vote on the inadequate bipartisan infrastructure bill that would have put Build Back Better in jeopardy. This move puts President Biden’s bold Build Back Better agenda -- including its proposed historic climate investments -- back on track.
“The Sierra Club thanks all House Democrats who insisted that President Biden’s historic agenda of climate action, clean energy jobs, health protections, and racial justice investments move forward before a premature vote on the inadequate bipartisan infrastructure bill,” said Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz. “Ultimately, the bipartisan infrastructure bill had to wait for now because, in significant measure, it fails to tackle the climate crisis without the broader companion Build Back Better Act.”
Here’s a rundown of the lead-up to Friday’s worthy delay:
-
For months, social movements have been fighting for bold legislation that meets the crises of climate disruption, economic inequality, and racial injustice. The full $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act is exactly that, and we have a once-in-a-generation shot to get it passed.
-
The fossil fuel industry, corporate lobbyists, Republican obstructionists, and a few Democrats in Congress have tried to water down, stall, or fully block this transformative bill. Meanwhile, they've pushed for a premature vote on an inadequate bipartisan infrastructure bill that on its own would not deliver meaningful investments in our communities or our climate action.
-
The only way to win on climate action through the Build Back Better Act is for the two bills to move together. We know if the corporate lobbyists and their friends in Congress have their way, they'd pass the inadequate bipartisan infrastructure bill and call it a day -- leaving most of President Biden’s bold climate action agenda on the cutting floor.
So when the House delayed a vote on the inadequate bipartisan infrastructure bill because it didn't have the votes to pass, it kept the door open for the historic investments in the Build Back Better Act. This was a win for climate action, for unionized clean energy jobs, for justice, for building back better.
“Once again, Capitol Hill is being forced to reckon with ‘No Climate, No Deal,’ meaning we must deliver on clean energy tax credits, a Clean Electricity Performance Program, a Civilian Climate Corps, and more to reach our national commitments to cut climate pollution,” said Cruz. “If Congress does not deliver on these policies, our country will not meet the ‘climate test’: cutting climate pollution in half by 2030 and transforming our power sector to achieve 100-percent clean electricity while investing in communities that have borne the brunt of the unjust status quo.”
Need more details on why a vote would’ve been bad news? The Sierra Club’s full analysis of the bipartisan deal can be found here. Plus, click here for a spreadsheet with a line-by-line comparison of the Build Back Better Act, the bipartisan deal, President Biden’s American Jobs Plan, and the investment levels backed by economic modeling and movement organizations.
The Build Back Better Act is incredibly popular in both red and blue states, whether you ask Republicans, Democrats, or Independents. The bill's historic climate investments are supported by huge majorities of people.
Bottom line: The only way to tackle the country’s interconnected crises — climate disruption, racial injustice, economic insecurity, and public health — at the scale required is for the bipartisan deal and reconciliation package to move in tandem.
We still need your help: keep calling and emailing your members of Congress to tell them to pass the Build Back Better Act.