Thread by @RepMikeQuigley

While cable news likes to talk about everything that's NOT in the Build Back Better Act, the reality is @HouseDemocrats are going to pass the most significant legislation since Roosevelt's New Deal. It’s impossible to overstate the positive impacts this bill will have on America.

@HouseDemocrats To better understand just how important this legislation will be, let’s break down some of what’s in the bill and what it will do for communities in Chicago and across the country.

@HouseDemocrats First, let’s start with our nation’s first federal paid leave policy. Families will finally be empowered to care for their new child or a sick parent thanks to a federal program providing four weeks of paid family and medical leave.

@HouseDemocrats From the earliest age, children should have access to tools that put them on the path to success.

Build Back Better will make universal pre-k a reality for 3 and 4 year-olds across the country. In Illinois, that's over 250k children gaining access to high-quality preschool.

@HouseDemocrats That's not the only education expansion @HouseDemocrats will pass. This bill will increase the max Pell Grant by $550 and make federal student aid available to Dreamers for the first time.

We will change the lives of 162,000 students in Illinois alone who rely on Pell Grants.

@HouseDemocrats While higher education may not be for everyone, everyone deserves the opportunity to have a good-paying job.

We're providing $20 billion in workforce development funding for apprenticeship programs as well as career and technical training.

@HouseDemocrats Too often formerly incarcerated people are left unprepared to reintegrate into the workforce. We can ensure that they have the entrepreneurial skills they need to succeed with a $105 million investment in training and counseling incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals.

@HouseDemocrats For school districts like Chicago, where it’s become difficult to retain teachers, $112 million in grants to recruit and train teachers from within our own community will mean more educators bringing their unique understanding of our city into our classrooms.

@HouseDemocrats Build Back Better provides $10B for child nutrition programs, meaning an additional 325,000 children in Illinois will be eligible to receive free school meals.

It also extends the Summer EBT program to ensure that no child goes hungry just because school is out of session.

@HouseDemocrats Extreme weather events have brought the climate crisis front and center.

To tackle the most important issue of our lifetimes, we are passing the largest and most consequential climate change bill ever passed in the United States.

@HouseDemocrats The Build Back Better Act dedicates $200 million to improve climate and weather forecasting, $100 million to air quality research, and $365 million to climate-related Research and Development at NASA.

@HouseDemocrats But we don't stop there.

Good public transit makes cities more accessible, livable, and cleaner. We're including $10 billion for Transit Oriented Development, to make sure that transit is actually serving our communities and getting people to and from where they need to go.

@HouseDemocrats The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

To address this, we're dedicating $4 billion to lowering roadway emissions, including $950 million in grants for states that make progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

@HouseDemocrats The federal government must lead the way in the transition to electric cars.

$5.9 billion will go toward electrifying the Postal Service vehicle fleet. That's enough to replace 70% of USPS trucks with climate-friendly electric vehicles.

@HouseDemocrats We're replacing more than just USPS vehicles. Heavy-duty vehicles like trash trucks and school buses contribute to climate change AND release hazardous pollutants into communities. We're going to replace them with zero-emission alternatives so the air we breathe stays cleaner.

@HouseDemocrats In the 20th century, planners purposefully routed some highways directly through communities of color, cutting them off from schools, churches & more.

With a $2.3 billion investment, we will reconnect these areas, so communities of color have equal access to opportunities.

@HouseDemocrats Back in 2017, the Trump Tax cuts opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to fossil fuel development—this legislation would protect this incredible, unique, and fragile landscape from fossil fuel excavation.

@HouseDemocrats Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, orders of magnitude more effective than CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

A new Methane Emissions Reductions Program will drive down methane emissions and establish a new charge for methane waste.

@HouseDemocrats Lead in drinking water can be disastrous for children’s health and development, impacting intelligence and children’s capacity to learn. That’s why we’re investing $10 billion for lead water line replacements.

@HouseDemocrats The Build Back Better Act will build on the success of the American Rescue Plan to make sure that health care is affordable and accessible for ALL families.

@HouseDemocrats Many people in need of affordable, quality health care live in states that did not expand Medicaid.

This bill will finally close that gap and empower them to access low-to-no-cost, high-quality health plans.

@HouseDemocrats We have learned over the past two years how important it is to be prepared for pandemics. Our public health infrastructure will be significantly enhanced by a $1.3 billion investment in vaccine production capacity.

@HouseDemocrats My friend @RepAdams just reminded me that #BuildBackBetter also makes over $1 billion in historic investments in the health and care of moms! Together, we can save moms' lives and end racial and ethnic maternal health disparities.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams We must end the stigma around HIV/AIDS and support people living with the virus.

The Build Back Better Act will deliver $75 million to support the Ryan White program to provide quality care to people living with HIV/AIDS.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams Veterans put their lives on the line for our country. We owe them 21st-century care when they come home.

A $2.3 billion investment in the VA’s brick-and-mortar infrastructure will allow them to make improvements to aging facilities and help fulfill our promise to servicemembers.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams Our country is in the midst of a health care provider shortage exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The #BuildBackBetterAct provides $2 billion for the National Health Service Corps and $500 million for the Nurse Corps, to educate new health professionals.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams We will also invest over $1.6 billion in health care workers who serve seniors and people with disabilities in nursing homes, intermediate care facilities, and more, ensuring everyone receives quality care.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams For some seniors, nursing homes aren’t the right option for them.

New investments in home-based care will allow seniors and people with disabilities on Medicaid the choice to stay in their homes and communities if they choose.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams For far too long, Medicare coverage failed to include hearing care and hearing aids. This legislation changes that. Now no senior will have to go without hearing benefits.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams Seniors will also have their out-of-pocket pharmacy costs capped at $2,000 per year thanks to Medicare's new ability to negotiate drug prices and penalize manufacturers who raise prices faster than inflation.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams Stable housing improves physical and mental health as well as educational outcomes. Through a $65 billion investment, we will nearly eliminate the existing capital needs backlog for public housing, changing the lives of millions of Americans.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams Another effort to address our housing crisis comes in the form of $450 million for the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program.

We can all agree that providing stable housing for seniors is one of our most fundamental obligations.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams I know rising crime rates have made many communities feel unsafe, and the first step to fixing this problem is dedicating funding to crime prevention.

HHS will receive $2.5 billion to support public health approaches to reducing community violence and trauma.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams The Build Back Better Act will also provide an additional $2.5 billion for the Department of Justice to support evidence-informed intervention strategies to reduce community violence through training, technical assistance, research, evaluation, and data collection.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams Not only does this bill make all these transformative investments, but it does so while not increasing taxes on anyone earning less than $400,000 per year.

We'll raise trillions just by making the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations pay their fair share in taxes.

@HouseDemocrats @RepAdams I am proud to support this groundbreaking legislation and cannot wait to see the lives that will inevitably change in my district, in Illinois, and across the country.

We made promises. With this bill, we will act on them.