On Dec. 17, with the US Senate now out of session and taking their holiday recess without passing the Build Back Better Bill, or Human Infrastructure, $2 Trillion spending plan, Westchester Congressman Jamaal Bowman denounced the delays in passing voting rights, democracy reform, and police abuse.
“For months, the Senate has centered Senator Manchin while failing to center what matters most: the basic needs and dignity of everyday people in my district and across the country,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16). “The Senate’s decision not to move forward on the Build Back Better Act is a reflection of that chamber’s disregard of the people’s most immediate needs.
“The House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act on March 3, the For the People Act on March 3, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act on August 24, and it has now been 29 days since we passed the Build Back Better Act. These life and democracy saving bills haven’t reached the President’s desk because of two senators and what they represent: powerful special interest groups and corporate lobbyists who use money to protect the status quo and endanger our future.
“Every day that the Senate fails to act is another day that my community loses out on life-saving and life-changing resources. When the Senate says “no” to progress, it’s really saying that it’s willing to end child tax credit payments for 84,000 families in NY-16. In our district, the Senate is willing to tell over 44,400 children that childcare and universal pre-k isn’t guaranteed for them, delay over $151 billion in funding to improve 4,266 public housing units, and continue forcing our neighbors suffering from diabetes to choose between insulin and rent. They’re willing to let police escape accountability after murdering Black men and women, and they’re willing to let our democracy crumble.
Last month, Rep. Bowman voted no on a $1.2 Trillion infrastructure bill because an agreement to vote on both bills together was changed at the last minute, with the first infrasructure bill being voted on and approved by both the House and the Senate. But the Build Back Better, Human Infrastrucute Bill passed in the House on Nov. 19, the U.S. Senate never voted on it because there was not support from 50 Senators for its passage.
“While I feared that passing funding for roads and bridges without funding for families and children would result in this situation, the Senate’s failure to act is not just about Build Back Better. It is past time to end the filibuster and ensure the Senate puts people over profits.
“The American people elected President Biden because of his commitment to deliver these resources to our community, and from day one, I have been committed to helping him get his full agenda across the finish line. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to work with me to find solutions and pass every single bill sent to them. If Democrats want to continue to have the opportunity to deliver for the American people, we must deliver on the promise of a more equitable and inclusive world – passing each of these transformative bills is the first step in that mission.”
Two U.S. Senators, democrats Joe Manchin (West Virgina) and Kristen Sinema (Arizona), will not support BBB. President Joe Biden has been trying to negotiate changes to win the support of both. With the Senate in a 50-50 tie, both Manchin and Sinema must vote yes on BBB, so that Vice-President Kamala Harris can break the tie.
U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has been trying to get Manchin to switch parties, become a republican, and give the majority back to the GOP. If that happens BBB is officially dead; right now it is on life support.
