Washington, D.C. — This morning, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) and the House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act. This historic agreement will create millions of good-paying jobs, get Americans back to work, enable more Americans to join and remain in the labor force, spur long-term economic growth, reduce price pressures, and set the United States on course to meet its clean energy ambitions.

“Our nation has weathered unbelievable challenges in the past two years, navigating a global pandemic which upended our economy,” McBath said. “The Build Back Better Act will set us on a course to create millions of jobs, get Americans back to work, lower health care costs, and provide tax cuts to hard-working families. This historic investment will help put America on the path back to normal, and I am proud to support this package to help meet the needs of our communities.”

The Build Back Better package will be transformative for nearly every family in Georgia, deliver historic investments to meet their needs in the wake of the pandemic, and ensure that all can share in the benefits of a growing economy now and for generations to come by addressing:

• Prescription Drugs: The cost of medicine is too high for many American families, and this legislation lowers the cost of prescription drugs for families, capping insulin at $35 a month, and ensuring that no senior will pay more than $2,000 a year in out-of-pocket drug costs. 
• Child Care: The average annual cost for child care in Georgia is $7,500.  The Build Back Better Act will expand access for 665,172 young Georgians and ensure that no family pays more than seven percent of their income on child care.
• Early Education: Only 29% percent of the 271,000 three-year-olds and four-year-olds in Georgia have access to publicly funded pre-kindergarten, while the average cost of private pre-kindergarten in the state is $8,600. The Build Back Better Act will expand access to free, high-quality pre-kindergarten to 193,000 young Georgians – setting children up for lifelong success and saving their parents thousands of dollars.
• Health Care: By closing the Medicaid gap, expanding Medicare to include hearing care, and extending relief for insurance purchased through the ACA, the Build Back Better Act will help 548,000 Georgia families gain coverage and 262,000 Georgia families save hundreds on health costs each year – while also making home health care for elderly parents or loved ones with disabilities more affordable and accessible.
• 9/11 Health: This bill also provides billions in funding to support health programs for 9/11 survivors and their families
• Pandemic Preparedness: Invests billions in pandemic preparedness to help improve public health systems and prevent future health crises.
• Community Violence: Funds violence intervention initiatives to reduce violence in our communities and keep our families safe.
• Lower Taxes: Before the Child Tax Credit was expanded in the American Rescue Plan, fifteen percent of Georgia children lived in poverty.  The Build Back Better Act extends this life-changing tax cut for middle-class families and furthers historic progress toward reducing child poverty.
• Small Businesses:  Provides billions for small businesses to spur the economy, support entrepreneurs, and drive innovation.
• Climate Disasters: Georgia has experienced 46 extreme weather events over the last decade, which has cost the state more than $20 billion. By reducing carbon pollution, bolstering community resilience and strengthening the American clean energy economy, the Build Back Better Act will create good-paying union jobs, advance environmental justice and save Georgia families the steep costs of recovery.
• Workforce Development: Create paid job training opportunities, helping get Americans get back to work, providing employers with the talent they need to grow, and giving young people the opportunity to chase the careers that are right for them.
• The Build Back Better Act also makes generational investments in higher education, workforce training, affordable housing, and nutrition assistance.

The full fact sheet for Georgia is available here.