Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment to H.R. Build Back Better Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, the American people asked, and Democrats are delivering.

I am proud to join my colleagues in moving this historic effort to fight climate change, lower prescription drug prices, and reduce the deficit.

Every district in our country has felt the pain of inaction on the growing climate crisis, from forest fires in the West to unprecedented flooding in the Midwest and Northeast.

My district is no exception. Just this week, I visited the Brandywine River Museum of Art, home of Andrew Wyatt's masterpieces, which, 1 year ago, experienced devastating damage when extreme weather caused the nearby river to rise over 18 feet.

Yesterday, I toured the wetlands at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge to discuss measures to address the ever-more-frequent flooding being experienced in the nearby Eastwick neighborhood.

From one end of my district to another, my constituents are seeing the devastating impact of climate change every single day. Congress must deliver results for these people: legislation that makes a difference for hardworking Americans.

When my Republican colleagues were in the majority, they used their control over this body to pass tax cuts for the wealthy and deny healthcare to millions of Americans. But Democrats have proven over and over they take seriously their job to deliver results for all of their constituents, and that is why we are here today.

Through tax incentives, grants, and loans, the Inflation Reduction Act will reduce CO2 emissions by 40 percent by 2030. This legislation will invest in our energy sector to promote innovation and renewable energy, and it will do this while supporting workers' unions and creating more than 9 million new jobs over the next decade.

The bill will also ensure that vulnerable communities like Eastwick, most likely to feel the impact of a climate crisis, will receive the tools and attention they deserve.

Beyond addressing climate, the bill will radically lower the cost of expensive prescription drugs, help 13 million Americans keep their health insurance, and empower the IRS to go after wealthy corporations and tax cheats. Notably, it will do all this while reducing the budget deficit.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

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