Pardon Our Dust
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On Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, the Senate Budget Committee released its budget resolution for fiscal year 2022. The bill will serve as the foundation for the broad, sweeping spending bill that Democrats and President Biden hope to pass this fall. The bill aims to fulfill many of the promises made by the administration related to climate, healthcare, education, childcare, and additional infrastructure funding.
The Senate will start debating and vote on the topline numbers and policy this week. The budget resolution and the subsequent legislation drafted according to the resolution only needs a majority of the members in the House and Senate to pass. This will be the second time in 2021 Democrats use the budget reconciliation to process significant legislation.
Below is a list of the topline priorities published by Senate Democrats that they want included in the 2022 budget reconciliation bill:
Families
The major families plan programs proposed by President Biden are funded in the HELP and Finance instructions.
- Establishes universal pre-k for three- and four-year-olds and a new child care benefit for working families
- Makes community college tuition-free for two years
- Extends the largest tax cut for families with children ever (CTC/EITC/CDCTC)
- Increases the Pell Grant award and makes investments in historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), minority serving institutions (MSIs), Hispanic serving institutions (HSIs), tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), and Asian American and Pacific Islander serving institutions (ANNHIs)
- Creates the first-ever federal paid family and medical leave benefit
Climate
Puts the U.S. on track to meet President Biden’s 80 percent electricity and 50 percent economy-wide carbon reductions through the Agriculture, Banking, ENR, EPW, Finance, Commerce, HSGAC, and Indian Affairs instructions.
- Creates a new Clean Electricity Payment Program
- Provides clean energy, manufacturing, and transportation tax incentives and grants
- Imposes new polluter fees (methane and carbon imports)
- Invests in climate-smart agriculture and forest management investments for farmers and rural communities
- Creates coastal and ocean resiliency programs
- Makes drought, wildfire, and Interior Department investments
- Provides new consumer rebates for home electrification and weatherization
- Provides environmental justice and climate resilience
- Electrifies the federal vehicle fleet and buildings
Infrastructure and Jobs
Invests in game-changing infrastructure projects and jobs programs not included in the bipartisan infrastructure deal through the Banking, Commerce, EPW, Finance, HELP, HSGAC, Judiciary, Indian Affairs, Small Business and Veterans Affairs instructions.
- Historic level of investments in public housing, green and sustainable housing, housing production and affordability
- Establishes the first-ever Civilian Climate Corps
- Invests in workforce development and job training programs to connect workers to good-paying jobs
- Provides green cards to millions of immigrant workers and families
- Funds smart technology for safe and efficient borders for trade, travel and migration
- Largest ever one-time investment in Native American infrastructure projects
- Rehabilitates aging Veterans Administration buildings and hospitals
- New economic development investments to revitalize communities and transform regions for new innovation jobs
- Invests in research and development and strengthens U.S. manufacturing supply chains
- Expands access to capital and markets for small businesses
Healthcare
Builds on Democrats’ goal of providing universal healthcare to all Americans in the Finance and HELP instructions.
- Adds a new dental, vision, and hearing benefit to the Medicare program
- Extends the recent expansion of the Affordable Care Act in the American Rescue Plan
- Invests in home and community-based services to help seniors, persons with disabilities and home care workers
- Creates a new federal health program for Americans in the “Medicaid gap”
- Reduces prescription drug costs for patients and saves taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars