Build Back Better Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, the Build Back Better Act is one of the most consequential pieces of legislation that has ever made its way through the halls of Congress.

Over the last several decades, the rich have gotten richer, only for the Middle Class to pay the price as America's working families and our physical and social infrastructure have suffered the death of a thousand cuts.

The Build Back Better Act sets our Nation on a new course--lowering the cost of health care, family care, and senior care, improving infrastructure, combating climate change, and creating good-paying jobs in every sector and community in our nation.

Seniors will benefit from new federal negotiating powers to lower the price of prescription drugs, a $2,000 cap on their out-of-pocket drug expenses on Medicare Part D, and the inclusion of hearing care in Medicare for the first time.

Americans with diabetes will no longer pay more than $35 per month for insulin.

The vast majority of families will pay no more than 7 percent of their income for childcare. There will be new universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds, and the Child Tax Credit will cut taxes for hardworking families.

Our farmers will benefit from new investments in regenerative agriculture, soil conservation, and urban agriculture.

The Civilian Climate Corps will help preserve and protect our environment while combating climate change.

We will develop new emission-reduction technologies for our critical infrastructure like ports, and build the electric and hydrogen vehicles of the future for consumers and the public sector--including hundreds of thousands of vehicles of the United States Postal Service, and the heavy trucks and service equipment of city and county fleets--all while ensuring our workers receive the training they need for these new technologies. The Build Back Better Act will ensure our workers are not left behind in the transition to the new economy.

We will modernize our electric grid, and upgrade our homes and neighborhoods through new weatherization initiatives.

Under-resourced neighborhoods will finally have the resources for new, quality, affordable housing. Small business owners will see new opportunities for growth as our communities recover from years of underinvestment.

And our veterans will receive higher quality care at new VA facilities across the Nation.

The American people will do all this by finally requiring the wealthiest, the biggest corporations, and the tax cheats to pay their fair share. Multimillionaires and those who store their wealth offshore will pay the taxes they owe to support America's resurgence.

And no one making less than $400,000 a year will pay one red cent in higher taxes.

We know that what America makes and grows makes and grows America. The Build Back Better Act will invest in and support those who do the making and growing. Every child, worker, family, senior will benefit.

The Build Back Better Act will guide America to a better future, and restore the Middle Class that has long labored to build up this Nation--the greatest Democratic Republic in the world.

Today is a good day for America. Now, let's get this bill to President Biden's desk.

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