Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch’s legislative committees, House Energy and Commerce and Oversight and Reform, marked up and passed over the past week core elements of the $3.5 trillion Budget Reconciliation package. The legislation, the Build Back Better Act, included transformational provisions championed by Welch (D-Vermont) that will address the climate crisis, lower health care costs, expand access to affordable health care, and increase broadband connectivity.
“These committee markups transformed a broad policy outline into specific legislative initiatives,” said Welch. “All Americans –whether they voted for former President Trump or President Biden – need a sustainable and healthy environment, an accessible and affordable healthcare system, and the opportunity to have broadband that is affordable and reliable in their homes. This bill moves us closer to those goals. I will continue to work with my colleagues and President Biden over the coming weeks to get this bill across the finish line and signed into law.”
Important priorities approved by the Energy and Commerce and Oversight and Reform committees are included below.
Health:
- Permanent expansion of Medicaid eligibility to millions of Americans who fell in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage gap.
- Permanent extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which currently provides 10 million children health care coverage.
- Public health investments to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce inequities in maternal health.
- The addition of comprehensive dental, vision, and hearing benefits for seniors under the Medicare program.
- $190 billion to expand access to Home and Community Based Services for millions of older adults and people with disabilities.
- $36 billion to support public health infrastructure and workforce expansion.
- $15 billion for pandemic preparedness to protect the U.S against any future public health emergency.
Energy and Environment:
- $150 billion for the Clean Electricity Performance Program to provide incentives for utilities transitioning to clean energy.
- $18 billion for Hope for Homes/Zero Emissions Homes Act to make it more affordable for Americans to invest in energy efficiency and electrification in their homes.
- $17.5 billion for federal building efficiency, federal clean energy deployment, green material procurement, and fleet electrification.
- $10 billion for Superfund cleanup.
- $5 billion in Environmental Justice block grants.
- $30 billion for lead line replacement.
- $2.5 billion for water system grants, including funding for community water systems and reduction of lead in school drinking water.
- $3.5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program.
- $13.5 billion for electric vehicle (EV) charging, including $2 billion for publicly accessible charging.
Telecommunications:
- $4 billion for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Connectivity Fund to provide broadband service in the homes of students and library patrons.
Oversight and Reform Committee:
- $12 billion for the General Services Administration and United States Postal Service to electrify vehicle fleets.
A summary of the Committee on Energy and Commerce markup provisions is here. A summary of the Committee on Oversight and Reform markup provisions is here.
Source: WASHINGTON – Representative Peter Welch 9.16.2021