Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed one of Congress’ largest spending bills in history, the reckless Build Back Better Act, by a vote of 220 to 213.
Patrice Onwuka, senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Voice, issued the following statement:
“Americans are already reeling from rising prices on gas, food, and household necessities. President Biden’s earlier $2 trillion pandemic relief bill contributed to worker labor shortages, skyrocketing inflation, and empty store shelves. By flooding households with no-strings-attached cash, Washington is overheating the economy and creating a powerful work disincentive.
“The Build Back Better Act builds on the Left’s sabotage of work in America by recklessly expanding the social safety beyond those who truly need it and undoing years of successful welfare reforms built upon employment. It will layer more red tape on our economy and make it harder for businesses to succeed and for workers to find employment opportunities that meet their unique needs.”
Carrie Lukas, vice president of Independent Women’s Voice, added:
“We recently saw voters in Virginia profoundly reject the government-knows-best mentality that has been pushed by the Left. Yet Congress is doubling down on this mentality. This massive spending bill dramatically expands government control. Parents who have been fighting for better K-12 public schools should be warned that they are now going to be fighting these same battles over preschool and day care because the government is going to be setting the rules and deciding what is taught and who can teach them. Faith-based programs, in-home and other private centers are likely to be squeezed out in the process.
“House Democrats also stuck back in a hastily considered paid leave package. This is not a victory for women or for anyone. Paid leave is a serious issue, and we should have a serious and thorough debate about how to expand access for workers. Instead an unvetted one-size-fits-all federal paid leave entitlement program is being forced upon Americans without any discussion of how it will work or what the tradeoffs will be.
“Even the New York Times Editorial Board, far from a conservative voice, wrote that ‘the concerns of more centrist Americans about a rush to spend taxpayer money, a rush to grow the government, should not be dismissed.’ It would do Washington some good to listen to this advice and leave Americans alone.”
###
Independent Women’s Voice fights for women by expanding support for policy solutions that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance freedom, opportunities, and well-being.