Delivering on President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda

A MESSAGE FROM CONGRESSMAN HOYER

Last Friday, the House passed the Build Back Better Act and sent it to the Senate for action. Along with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed into law last week, this legislation is a critical portion of President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda and will help families across the state of Maryland by directly lowering everyday costs and setting more of our families up for success.

I worked hard to advocate for priorities important to Maryland families in this legislation, which marks the most significant investment into family care and child care our nation has seen in years. Here’s a look at what this legislation does for Marylanders: 

• Provides for families most in need: The Build Back Better Act extends the Child Tax Credit for eligible families across our state. The enhancement of the Child Tax Credit was established in the American Rescue Plan, providing up to $3,600 per child per year to families who needed it most. Under the Build Back Better Act, this tax cut will be extended for another year.
   
• Increases access to child care: The Build Back Better Act also makes child care more affordable for millions of families and makes pre-school free for all 3-and 4-year olds. With the burden this pandemic has placed on working families and child caregivers, the Build Back Better Act is critical to ensuring children are set up for success early on and parents have the assistance they need to access affordable child care.
   
• Strengthens affordable, quality health care: With the Build Back Better Act, health care is more accessible and affordable than ever. For the first time, the Build Back Better Act allows for negotiating lower drug costs for seniors, ensuring the best price for prescription drugs. For the millions of Americans who depend on insulin to manage their diabetes, the Build Back Better Act ensures the price of insulin is capped at $35 a month. In addition, this bill will expand coverage under the Affordable Care Act to make health care more affordable for those who buy insurance on their own.
   
• Works to Combat Climate Change: The Build Back Better Act makes significant strides for our state to cut pollution and reduce energy costs. The legislation secures $555 billion to invest in clean energy and climate while cutting carbon pollution over one gigaton in 2030. It will also build on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by making our nation more resilient when facing the severe impacts of climate change and help generate hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs.

I was pleased to do my part and bring this legislation to the House Floor. Now, I join my colleagues and so many Americans in calling on the Senate to work swiftly and send this bill to President Biden. 

As always, I encourage all Fifth District residents to continue to share their concerns and insights with me by contacting my office or connecting with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. If you are experiencing a personal difficulty such as issues accessing veterans benefits or another problem regarding a federal agency and you wish for my office to place an inquiry on your behalf, please complete the casework request form by clicking here.   

Sincerely Yours,   
 
Steny H. Hoyer