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Dear Neighbor,

I am writing to share exciting news: today, I voted to pass the Build Back Better Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This legislation will help our district build toward a more sustainable, just, and prosperous future. 

You can watch my remarks here on the importance of this legislative step. 

There are thousands of provisions in these historic pieces of legislation, and our office will be sharing more details on what this means for our district in the weeks to come. Today, I want to take a moment to explain a few that I believe will be especially essential for the residents of New York’s 16th Congressional District:

• $100 billion toward lowering the cost of childcare and providing universal Pre-K. If enacted, families making less than $51,364 will receive free childcare assistance, and families making up to $171,215 in our district will not have to pay more than seven percent of their income on child care assistance. 

• $39 billion to modernize transportation systems nationally like the MTA, Metro North Railroad, and Bee Line Bus. These funds can be used to improve accessibility for the elderly and people with disabilities. 

• Lowers the price of insulin and allows the government authority to negotiate down the cost of prescription drugs. The bill mandates that insurers do not charge more than $35 for a 30-day supply of insulin and do not apply a deductible.

• Four weeks of paid leave and $1 billion in investments to combat maternal mortality. This will help ensure parents have access to healthcare, support, and time with their newborn. 

• Over $68 billion in funding to repair our public housing and build community centers. This includes funding to repair apartment units, roofs, and ameliorate health hazards in NYCHA developments. It also includes much-needed funds for new community centers, senior centers, and after-school hubs.  

• $2.5 billion nationwide in funds for violence prevention. With the Build Back Better Act, federal grants for local violence prevention would allow communities like ours to invest in violence interruption, workforce development, and school-based support for at-risk youth. 

• Over $50 billion in infrastructure improvements to protect against flooding. The devastation of Hurricane Ida underscores how essential these resources are to build resilient communities that can withstand severe weather events caused by climate change.

The Build Back Better Act is also fiscally sound. It has spending offsets in place, which will allow the federal government to raise the revenue needed to pay for the full Build Back Better Act. These offsets include a corporate tax increase for businesses and taxes on a variety of tobacco products. The vast majority of taxpayers in our district do not make over $400,000 annually and so will not see their taxes go up as part of  this legislation. 

Passing these two bills out of the House of Representatives is a monumental step, but our work is not over. Today, the Build Back Better Act passed the House, and next it needs to pass the Senate before being signed into law by President Biden. I will advocate for the Senate to pass the full Build Back Better Act quickly. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has now been passed by both the House and the Senate. Next, it will be signed into law by President Biden. Even once President Biden signs both of these two bills into law, I will continue to push for legislation that ends poverty, fully combats climate change, and gives every person in our district the resources needed to thrive.

Over the next several months, our office will work alongside local partners to explain what this legislation means for our community, identify needs that need federal support, and advocate for resources to our district. I look forward to continuing this work together.

Sincerely,

Jamaal Bowman