It’s Time to Cross the Finish Line
In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provided bold, compassionate, and swift support to Arizonans in desperate need of a lifeline. ARPA worked to put vaccines in arms, safely reopen schools, and put food on tables. But ARPA was a targeted response to the urgent public health and economic crises; it was not necessarily a long-term solution to the many challenges facing our nation, further exacerbated by the pandemic.
Decades of disinvestment have resulted in serious deficits in our state, spanning across nearly every aspect of life. We can no longer afford the costs of inaction – it is now time for Arizona’s Senators and U.S. House members to help get the Build Back Better (BBB) Framework cross the finish line.
Though reduced in magnitude, the current BBB Framework will accomplish so much good for Arizona’s families and workforce. Arizona is ready for this investment and supports having the ultra-rich and corporations finally pay their fair share.
Positive payoffs for generations to come are in store if Congress votes to move this legislation forward. Just a few of the ambition programs outlined within the package include:
- Universal Preschool for all 3- and 4-year Olds: Expand access to free high-quality preschool for more than 6 million children. This is a long-term program, with funding for six years.
- Expanded Child Tax Credit: Extends the current expanded Child Tax Credit for more than 35 million American households, making refundability for the CTC permanent.
- Housing Investment: $150 billion investment in housing affordability and reducing price pressures, including in rural areas. Funds will go towards building more than 1 million new affordable rental and single-family homes across the country, rental and down payment assistance, and public housing.
Despite the many disappointing cuts made to Build Back Better, most notably Paid Family and Medical Leave and the lowering of prescription drug prices, the vast benefit this package seeks to do cannot be overstated. Arizona needs this investment and desperately needs Senator Krysten Sinema and Senator Mark Kelly to say yes to this package.
