Breaking down the Build Back Better bill

MELODY STAINBROOK: As President Biden approaches the one year mark of his presidency, the eyes of the country are on him as he works to fulfill his campaign promises. As a result, the Biden administration and congressional Democrats continue to push legislation to increase funding for infrastructure, climate and social programs. One of the most prominent— and controversial— of these efforts is the Build Back Better bill, which initially came with a hefty $3.5 trillion price tag, but was lowered to $1.75 trillion to satisfy key Senate moderates. Republicans have deemed the bill irresponsible and reckless spending, while many Democrats have praised the bill as a necessary investment in America's future. 

The bill's text is lengthy, with many appropriations for various programs, projects and grants. While many people know that the final bill is expensive, they do not know the reason behind the price. The Build Back Better bill allocates funding for multiple areas; the main four are the environment, education and child care, healthcare and taxes. 

Let's break it down:

The Environment 

The Build Back Better bill allocates a large sum of money to restore and protect national forests through the US Forest Service, including funding for hazardous fuel reduction projects. The bill proposes $10,000,000,000 to be put towards hazardous fuel reduction projects to reduce wildfires. An additional $1,000,000,000 is allocated to fund vegetation management projects aimed at implementing water source management plans and encouraging the restoration of old-growth forests. 

Other Forest Service projects that the bill funds include initiatives to stop the spread of invasive species ($50,000,000), research to gauge national forests' and wildlife's ability to adapt to climate change ($50,000,000) and numerous grants for product innovation and forest protection projects. 

The Build Back Better bill also outlines funding for numerous environmental projects, including safe-drinking water initiatives, energy-efficiency projects and wildlife conservation efforts. The bill allocates $30,000,000,000 to be awarded as grants under the Safe Water Drinking Act. The primary goals of these grants are identified as the replacement of outdated "lead service lines" and subsidies to develop water systems in disadvantaged communities. 

The bill allocates $500,000,000 to the Job Corps program, which provides free training and jobs to young workers (ages 16 to 24), with a particular emphasis on Civilian Conservation Centers, in which workers contribute to projects aimed at protecting America's public lands, forests and wildlife. The bill also designates $400,000,000 to be awarded directly to conservation projects, defined as "a project for the conservation, restoration, construction, or rehabilitation of natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, or scenic resources." 

Additionally, the Build Back Better bill provides funding to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, specifically for programs addressing the protection of at-risk species. These programs include recovery programs under the Endangered Species Act ($75,000,000), consultations with other federal agencies whose actions impact at-risk species ($40,000,000), and various special projects for specific ecosystems or species in the United States or its territories. 

The bill also allocates an additional $5,000,000,000 under the Clean Air Act to address air pollution. Specific projects include replacing vehicles with zero-emissions vehicles, developing charging stations for these vehicles, reducing air pollution at ship ports and developing technologies to address air pollution in disadvantaged communities. 

Education and Child Care 

In addition to the environment, the Build Back Better bill appropriates significant funding for education and child care programs. In fact, in his endorsement of the bill, President Biden called the Build Back Better Bill "the most significant investment in children and caregiving in generations." 

The bill initially outlined funding for free community college, but when the bill's budget was significantly cut, this funding was lost. Despite this, the revised bill still offers funding for programs to provide two years of free community college, a possible alternative to attending a costly four-year college. However many were disappointed when the bill did not directly address the student loan crisis, in which 45 million American students collectively owe $1.7 billion in loans. 

The Build Back Better bill proposes numerous sources of funding for child care programs and grants. For example, $1,480,000,000 is allocated for grants awarded to direct care workers, including those who work with children, the elderly and those with disabilities. Furthermore, the bill calls for the establishment of a birth through age five childcare and early entitlement program. The program would receive an initial $20,000,000,000 in 2022, with a $10,000,000,000 increase every year through 2024. The program's main goal is to expand the availability and quality of childcare and provide free childcare to those in need. Furthermore, the program outlines a requirement to ensure that childcare providers earn a livable wage. These investments aim to establish a comprehensive and affordable national pre-kindergarten child care system. 

Health Care

The Build Back Better bill includes significant investments in healthcare coverage, including additions to health care for the elderly. The bill expands Medicare to cover dental, vision and hearing care by amending the Social Security Act. The bill also provides $75,000,000 for research and development of the Aging Network Center and $650,000,000 to invest in aging care and support.

The Build Back Better bill also expands healthcare benefits to individuals with Medicaid. The bill appropriates $10,000,000,000 to reduce out-of-pocket costs such as copays, insurance premiums and deductibles. In addition, the bill sets out to establish a Federal Medicaid program  consisting of benchmark coverage that all state plans must meet. 

Furthermore, the bill provides additional funding to expand healthcare coverage to students. For example, the bill extends the availability of free school lunches to those covered by Medicaid, outlining specific programs to provide nutritional meals to students in need even when school is not in session during the summer. 

Additionally, $3,000,000,000 is appropriated for research and development of breakthrough technologies and new medicines. The bill also establishes guidelines for negotiating and reviewing the maximum prices of name-brand drugs. These restrictions allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, impose a tax penalty on drug companies whose price increases outpace inflation, and lower out-of-pocket costs for the elderly. 

Taxes 

The bill proposes tax increases for certain corporations and high-income individuals. Specifically, the bill proposes tax increases on individuals with incomes of $400,000 or more, with a top income tax rate of 39.6%. The maximum corporate tax rate is 26.5%.

The bill also includes a new 15% minimum corporate profits tax on large corporations and a 1% tax on corporate stock repurchases. The bill also sets limitations on the interest deductions of international financial reporting groups. 

Is It Too Expensive?

The Build Back Better bill clearly comes with a hefty price tag, but it is important to acknowledge that it covers many issues that have remained widely unaddressed for far too long. 

Around 330 million people live in the United States. Approximately 42 million people are food insecure, including 7 million children. Overall, 37.2 million Americans live in poverty, and this number is increasing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the cost of raising children continues to rise as the student loan crisis spirals out of control. Meanwhile, the cost of healthcare can often be overwhelming: 1 out of every 4 Americans struggle to afford prescription drugs. 

Our country needs the kind of investments in food security, healthcare, child care and education that the Build Back Better bill provides.

Our environment is in dire need of extreme repair and radical human change. Instead, we continue to burn fossil fuels, cut down forests and perpetuate the warming of our planet. Scientists estimate that a failure to address climate change could cost the global economy $23 trillion by 2050, far more than the Build Back Better Bill's $1.75 trillion price tag. 

We need investments in our public water system— it took several years to provide the citizens of Flint, Michigan, with clean water. Furthermore, we need to invest in more sustainable water management and fuel sources that contribute to forest fires— the area burnt by wildfires each year have increased since 1980. These fires threaten our forests and the wildlife that live there, highlighting the importance of conservation programs. A staggering one-quarter of mammal species are currently threatened with extinction, and that number is only growing. 

Our country needs the investments in the environment that the Build Back Better Bill provides. 

Take Action

The time to invest in our future is now. After reading through the bill's text, there are many funding allocations, proposals and programs. However, I am convinced the funding is for worthy causes, the proposals are practical first steps, and the programs are essential to the well-being of our country. While we face problems that may seem insurmountable, we must support legislation that comprehensively addresses them. 

The Build Back Better bill is currently facing pressure to cut costs once again, cutting funding for essential programs. To support the bill, you can contact your representatives and senators. 

Melody Stainbrook is a sophomore in Georgetown College studying government and environmental studies.