Chairman Yarmuth’s Remarks Before House Rules Committee in Support of The Build Back Better Act
Washington, D.C.— Today, Kentucky Representative John Yarmuth, Chair of the House Budget Committee, testified before the House Rules Committee in support of H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act. Remarks, as prepared, are below:
Members of the Committee, the Build Back Act marks an inflection point for our country. It will end an era of chronic underinvestment that – for too long – has held our nation back, creating serious deficits in nearly every sector of American society and leaving millions of working families without a chance of a fair shot.
Rising health care costs are putting a strain on budgets for families and businesses. The absence of affordable child care is driving parents – especially women – out of the labor force in record numbers. The digital divide and lack of broadband infrastructure are hindering our children’s education in communities across the country. Safe and affordable housing options are becoming more and more scarce for families in need. Our veterans are being treated in hospitals and clinics that are in critical need of updating. And we face a catastrophic climate crisis that threatens life as we know it.
Many of these challenges predate the pandemic, but the threat and impact they present have only compounded in recent years. The time to act is now, and that is why we are here today.
The Build Back Better Act will deliver transformational investments to meet the needs of the American people, address dangerous deficits in our society, improve our economic outlook, and set America up to compete and win in the decades ahead.
It will overhaul and reimagine sectors of our economy and society so that everyone – not just those at the top – benefit from a growing economy.
This is a tremendous undertaking. One that has demanded determination and diligence. Now, after months of negotiations within our caucus, in our committees, with our colleagues in the Senate, and with the White House, we have achieved significant progress, with historic investments in the future of American families and our nation – which my fellow Chairs can speak to more today.
The Build Back Better Act will create a stronger future for workers and for our children – all while creating good-paying jobs. We will enact one of the biggest middle-class tax cuts in history, lower costs for families, tackle the climate crisis, and lay the foundation for extraordinary economic growth and shared prosperity for decades to come.
I am pleased to have today’s hearing as an opportunity to present the shared White House-House-Senate vision to the public, highlight the life-changing impact of these provisions, and outline next steps in delivering the most transformative piece of legislation for working Americans since the New Deal.