Working to pass Build Back Better—the transformative piece of legislation moving oh so slowly through Congress for the last nine months—has been a long, challenging fight. But our future is worth fighting for. We never thought changing the world would be easy; we know this is the work of our lifetimes and those of future generations. As we prepare ourselves for the work ahead, I want to share an update on where we are with the bold climate, jobs, and justice investments that Congress has been working on for the past year, and your role in getting it across the finish line.
What happened to the Build Back Better Act?
This historic bill is stalled in the Senate. We worked so hard last year to get a package of investments promoting clean energy, creating millions of jobs, replacing lead pipes, supporting elder care, and paying for child care, and we successfully secured “yes” votes from nearly all Democrats in the House of Representatives, as well as 48 Democratic senators. This was no small feat! However, because every single Republican senator is against these widely popular policies, such legislation can only pass with the support of every one of the 50 Democratic senators. But the Build Back Better Act, despite overwhelming public support, never got the full support of Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia or Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.
So, what now?
It's not a complete restart, but Congress does have to go back to the drawing board. Luckily, many of the investments, including the $500 billion in climate action, are largely agreed upon. There are other pieces that require some more negotiating. So, as hard as it is to swallow, in order to get every Democratic senator on board, a bill for climate, jobs and justice is being redrafted and it will eventually have a new name.
What's the timeline look like?
In order to move forward, Congress needs a good benchmark, a deadline for progress. For weeks now, President Biden and members of Congress have been pushing March 1, the date of the State of the Union address, as an appropriate date by which to have a deal for this new piece of legislation. We're doing the same. Each day that passes without bold action on climate, jobs, and justice is a day of needless stress and suffering for millions of people—in particular Black and Brown communities—struggling with overstretched budgets, unabated air and water pollution, unaffordable healthcare, and an onslaught of climate-fueled storms, wildfires, and droughts. Enough. We urge President Biden and leaders of the Senate to Seal the Deal on a bold climate, jobs, and justice bill by the March 1 State of the Union.
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