What you should know
- A sharply divided House passed Democrats’ broad social and environmental bill on Friday, a major victory for President Joe Biden as his party moves closer to funneling billions in resources to its top national priorities.
- The House passed the legislation by a vote close to party line 220-213, sending the measure to the Senate.
- In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted what she says are six direct benefits for New Yorkers around family, finances, education and more.
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NEW YORK – A sharply divided House passed Democrats’ broad social and environmental bill on Friday, a major victory for President Joe Biden as his party moves closer to funneling billions in resources to its top national priorities. .
The House passed the legislation by a vote close to party line 220-213, sending the measure to a Senate where the cost-cutting demands of moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, and strict House rules seem force significant changes.
That will spark new disputes between the centrist and progressive parties that will likely take weeks to resolve. Still, the House’s passage marked a milestone for a measure notable for the depth of the changes it would make to federal policy.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul highlighted what she says are six direct benefits for New Yorkers around family, finances, education and more that will be gained if the Senate moves forward with the landmark legislative proposal.
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,” said Hochul.
“As parents return to work, this historic investment will help ensure that quality, reliable and affordable child care is available to nearly one million young New Yorkers whose families will benefit from lower child care costs,” he added . “The Poverty Reduction Enhanced Child Tax Credit is extended for one year, providing another 12 months of needed relief to our working families.”
The bill also brings the rest of the US closer to New York by making paid family leave a national policy. That policy has been in place in New York since 2016.
2. Money to fight the climate crisis
“The landmark legislation makes the largest investment to combat climate change in US history, investing $ 550 billion to support emission reduction technologies, across the economy, while also dramatically expanding clean energy tax credits for stimulate private sector development, “said Hochul.
“From buildings to industry to transportation, these critical investments will help New York take significant steps to meet our ambitious climate mandates under the Community Protection and Climate Leadership Act, including transitioning to a power sector of zero emissions by 2040 and achieve carbon neutrality throughout the economy, “added the Democrat.
3. Affordable health care
According to Hochul, New Yorkers will see reduced costs for life-saving prescription drugs, and seniors will benefit from lower out-of-pocket costs for necessary medications, as well as comprehensive Medicare hearing benefits.
“By extending improved health insurance premiums, even more New Yorkers can join the more than 925,000 current enrollees to get quality, affordable health coverage through the New York State of Health while saving hundreds of dollars a year,” said the governor. “Additionally, this bill makes critical and long-awaited 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 health care.”
4. Help for working families and 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 trust Pell, while also expanding access to the more than 28,000 DREAMers who call New York home.
The package also provides critical investments to support the 65 institutions that serve New York’s minorities and the students they serve, he says. Beyond the classroom, the package provides more than $ 50 billion in critical funding to train hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers for the jobs of tomorrow by investing in proven programs including registered apprenticeships and other job training that prepare people for jobs. high quality, according to Hochul.
5. Access to housing
“By investing $ 150 billion in building and preserving 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 incentives for new construction, providing much-needed funds to rehabilitate existing housing units, including the accumulation of accumulated capital needs in NYCHA’s 326 public housing developments and adding billions in new home vouchers to support renters, “he added.
6. Addressing the SALT limit
The Democratic governor of New York says Biden’s bill takes steps to address the “devastating fiscal impacts to state and local government caused by the cap on state and local tax deductions.”
“By increasing the limit from $ 10,000 to $ 80,000, New York communities will be able to raise more revenue, ensuring our ability to provide the public services that New Yorkers depend on, such as emergency services, public health, and infrastructure development,” said Hochul .
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