•Press Release Economic Crisis and Recovery Economic Policy Government Health and Social Programs
Washington, DC — For too long, the United States has lagged far behind other wealthy countries when it comes to building a comprehensive social security system that includes essential family benefits like universal child care, universal child allowances, paid parental leave, paid sick and disability leave, housing assistance, and home and community-based long-term care services. The House’s passage of the Build Back Better Act takes a major step toward closing that gap. The bill also takes important, if too modest, first steps on drug pricing reform, and expands Medicare to cover hearing aids and other hearing care.
The Senate should swiftly pass this essential legislation. The policies and investments in the bill will increase the economic security of working class and middle class Americans, and reduce class, gender, racial, and disability-related inequalities in the United States. Any changes made by the Senate should improve the benefits it provides to Americans in the bottom half of the income distribution, and reduce the tax preferences that go to the richest ones.
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