UNDERWOOD SUPPORTS HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN LOWERING COSTS FOR ILLINOIS FAMILIES WITH PASSAGE OF THE BUILD BACK BETTER ACT

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) supported the historic passage of the Build Back Better Act, once-in-a-generation legislation to meet the urgent needs of Illinois families by delivering affordable child care, universal Pre-K, lower health care and prescription drug costs, climate and clean energy solutions, lower taxes for families, and more.

Among the key provisions are three Underwood-drafted pieces of legislation. The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act will combat the U.S. maternal mortality crisis and the Health Care Affordability Act will reduce out-of-pocket health costs by making tax credits for Health Insurance Marketplace plans more generous and available to more Americans. The Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act will address the crisis of nurse staffing shortages that has impacted communities across the United States throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The legislation is fully paid for and will reduce the deficit by ensuring large corporations and the wealthiest pay their fair share.

"Illinois families have been put through the wringer in the last two years and now, more than ever, we need to ensure a strong economic recovery by lowering the cost of health care and of raising a family, invest in combatting the climate crisis, and do this responsibly by ensuring large corporations and the wealthiest pay their fair share," Rep. Lauren Underwood said. 

 

"I'm especially proud that my legislation, the Health Care Affordability Act, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, and the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act were included in this life-changing and life-saving package. This legislation brings us one step closer to giving Americans access to the equitable and affordable health care they deserve," she concluded.  

The legislation will be transformative for every Illinois family: delivering historic investments and ensuring that all Americans can share in the benefits of a growing economy now, and for generations to come.

The Build Back Better Act: 

Invests in affordable child care: The average annual cost for child care in Illinois is $9,876. The Build Back Better framework will expand access to childcare for 755,080 young Illinoisians and ensure no family pays more than seven percent of their income on child care.  
Improves Medicare to cover hearing costs: Adds a new, comprehensive hearing benefit to Medicare Part B, including coverage of hearing aids and services from audiologists and hearing aid professionals.
Ensures paid family and medical leave:  The program will ensure workers receive partial wage replacement to take time to bond with a new child, care for a seriously ill loved one, deal with a loved one's military deployment, find safety from sexual assault, stalking, or domestic violence, heal from their own serious illness, or take time to deal with the death of a loved one. It will guarantee four weeks of paid parental, family, and personal illness/safe leave. 
Combats climate change: Creates clean energy jobs and provides resources to farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners, supporting their efforts to reduce emissions.  
Expands early education: The Build Back Better Act will expand access to free, high-quality pre-K to more than 254,000 Illinois students -- setting up children for lifelong success and saving their parents thousands of dollars.  
Lowers prescription drug prices: Lowers out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for seniors and families by finally negotiating lower drug costs, halting outrageous price hikes, creating an out-of-pocket cap on drug spending for seniors under Medicare Part D, and ensuring Americans with diabetes pay no more than $35 per month for their insulin.
Fixes the State and Local Tax Deduction: Since the Republican Tax Law, places like the 14th District have been disproportionally burdened by changes to the State and Local Tax deduction (SALT) which was capped at $10,000 per year. This legislation repeals that unfair double-tax on Illinois families for five years.  
Extends the Child Tax Credit: The legislation will provide monthly payments to the parents of nearly 90 percent of American children for 2022 -- $300 per month per child under six and $250 per month per child ages 6 to 17.  
The Build Back Better Act also makes generational investments in higher education, workforce training, affordable housing, nutrition assistance and more. 

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