Rep. Susie Lee’s Statement on House Passage of the Build Back Better Act

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Susie Lee released the following statement after voting to pass the Build Back Better Act out of the House:

"Nevadans sent me to Congress to deliver lower costs for prescription drugs, affordable health care and child care, tax breaks for the middle class, and policies that will fight this climate crisis with the urgency that it demands," said Rep. Lee. "Today, we have taken another step forward in delivering on our promise. Earlier this month, I was proud to work with my colleagues from both parties to pass the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and now I'm committed to seeing this historic investment in jobs, education, families, and our environment across the finish line."

After months of negotiations, Rep. Lee helped secure language in the Build Back Better Act that will lower the cost of prescription drugs. These measures include capping out-of-pocket costs for seniors, curbing excessive price increases, and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices which will save billions of taxpayer dollars and dramatically cut costs for consumers.

This Build Back Better Act now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

What the Build Back Better Act Would Mean for Nevada:

Child care: The average annual cost for child care for a toddler in Nevada is $10,238. The Build Back Better framework will expand access for 196,800 young children and ensure that no Nevada family pays more than seven percent of their income on child care.

Early education: Only 17 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds in Nevada have access to publicly funded pre-K, while the average cost of private pre-K in the state is $8,600 The Build Back Better framework will expand access to free, high-quality pre-K to more than 65,000 young children in Nevada, setting these children up for lifelong success and saving their parents thousands of dollars.

Health care & long-term care: The Build Back Better framework will close the Medicaid coverage gap to help millions of Americans gain health insurance, extend through 2025 the American Rescue Plan's health insurance premium reductions for those who buy coverage on their own, and help older Americans access affordable hearing care by expanding Medicare. In Nevada, that means 71,000 uninsured people will gain coverage and 47,100 will on average save hundreds of dollars per year. In addition, the Build Back Better framework will support maternal health and invest in national preparedness for future pandemics.

Support families with long-term care needs: The need for high-quality, accessible, and affordable care for older Americans and disabled Americans is only growing, but high costs and care shortages leave many to rely on family for unpaid caregiving. The Build Back Better framework will expand access to home- and community-based care to more of Nevada's senior citizens and disabled citizens, and improve the quality and wages of caregiving jobs.

Lower taxes: Before Democrats secured the expanded Biden Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue Plan, 14 percent of Nevada children lived in poverty. The Build Back Better framework extends this life-changing tax cut and continues our historic progress toward reducing child poverty.

Climate impacts: Build Back Better is the largest effort to combat climate change in American history, investing $555 billion over 10 years in clean energy and climate investments – here's some of what's in the bill for Nevada families.

• Nevada has faced extreme drought and heat waves. The Build Back Better Act includes $100 million to "fund the planning, design, and construction of large-scale water reuse projects that reduce water diversions from drought-stricken river basins.
• The Build Back Better Act also includes $320 billion in tax credits for clean energy that will save Nevada families hundreds of dollars per year.
• The Build Back Better Act includes 110 billion for investments and incentives for clean energy technology, manufacturing, and supply chains. This includes targeted incentives to spur new domestic supply chains and technologies, like solar, batteries, and advanced materials, while boosting the competitiveness of existing industries, like steel, cement, and aluminum.
• In clean energy and in other sectors, the Build Back Better framework will also strengthen domestic manufacturing and supply chains for critical goods, benefiting American businesses, workers, consumers, and communities.
• Additionally, the Build Back Better Act will create a new Civilian Climate Corps that will enlist a diverse generation of Nevadans in conserving our public lands, bolstering community resilience, and addressing the changing climate, all while putting good-paying union jobs within reach.

Workforce training: The Build Back Better framework invests in training programs that will prepare Nevada's workers for high-quality jobs in fast-growing sectors like public health, child care, manufacturing, IT, and clean energy.

The Build Back Better framework also makes generational investments in higher education, workforce training, affordable housing, nutrition assistance and more.

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