Daniel Kildee

09/25/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/26/2021 11:53

Congressman Kildee Advances Build Back Better Budget Through Budget Committee

FLINT-Congressman Kildee (MI-05), Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus and Member of the House Budget Committee, has voted to advance a national budget that cuts taxes and levels the playing field for Michigan's working families. The mark up in the Budget Committee compiled recommendations from 13 House committees to enact President Joe Biden's Build Back Better agenda.

The budget bill now moves to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for a full vote.

"This bill presents a historic opportunity to give Michigan's working families a leg up," Congressman Kildee said. "I am proud of the work we have done in the Budget Committee to deliver one of the biggest middle class tax cuts in history and invest in our nation's future-and paying for it by making the wealthiest individuals and large corporations finally pay their fair share. Our budget will not increase taxes on anyone making under $400,000 and support families with children. This historic bill includes several priorities I have advocated for, including the expanding the tax credit for electric vehicles, support communities impacted by trade, removal of lead pipes across the country, investing education and lower prescription drug costs. I look forward to supporting this legislation when it comes to the floor."

Key measures passed by the Budget Committee include:

Supporting clean energy investment by:

  • Expanding the EV tax credit to creating good-paying manufacturing and union jobs, and reduce carbon pollution;
  • Creating an advanced energy property credit, with a designated set aside for automotive communities, to encourage the transition to clean manufacturing;
  • Expanding infrastructure for charging electric vehicles to continue to broaden the access to this important clean technology.

Modernizing and reforming the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) programs by:

  • Increasing benefits and expanding eligibility to meet the needs of today's workers under TAA for Workers program;
  • Establishes a completely revamped TAA for Communities program to assist struggling communities that have suffered trade-impacted job losses with creating and implementing a locally-developed plan for economic revitalization.

Providing Americans with safe and affordable drinking water:

  • Funding to remove every lead service line;
  • Removing lead from drinking water in schools;
  • Providing additional funding for the Department of Health and Human Services' Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP).

Supporting working families by:

  • Extending American Rescue Plan expansion of the Child Tax Credit, making permanent the American Rescue Plan expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit;
  • Providing up to 12 weeks of universal paid family and medical leave for all U.S. workers;
  • Investing and improving child care access and equity by funding the construction and remodeling of child care facilities to make them even safer and more aligned with public health guidelines and raising the wages of child care workers.

Improving senior health and health care affordability by:

  • Expanding Medicare coverage to include dental, vision and hearing benefits;
  • Lowering prescription costs for Americans by allowing the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate for lower drug prices;
  • Extending the American Rescue Plan's expanded premium tax credits to help lower health insurance costs;
  • Addressing the staffing shortages in long-term care facilities by providing funds for recruitment and retention.

Strengthening retirement security by:

  • Helping build up retirement support for employees by requiring employers without employer-sponsored retirement plans to automatically enroll their employees in Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) or 401(k)-type plans;
  • Expands the Saver's Credit to encourage contributions to retirement plans, including for very low-income individuals.

Empowering children and families by:

  • Lowering the cost of child care and secure universal pre-K for three- and four-year-olds;
  • Lowering the cost of higher education by funding two years of tuition-free community college and increasing the value Pell Grants;
  • Strengthening our public schools by helping school districts repair, modernize, or rebuild crumbling and outdated school buildings;
  • Helping workers secure good-paying jobs by expanding job training programs;
  • Helping prevent child hunger by expanding our most effective child nutrition programs.