West Virginia Can Celebrate the U.S. House Passage of Build Back Better

Desperately Needed Help for Working West Virginia Families

Today, the United States House of Representatives voted to pass the Build Back Better legislative package and we now turn to the Senate to vote to pass Build Back Better.  Advocates for working families across the nation have their eyes turned to Senator Joe Manchin. His vote is key to moving Build Back Better across the finish line.

Stripped down to the basics, Build Back Better does two things:  it helps people earn more money at work; and it provides direct financial help to pay rising costs for struggling families.

West Virginia families are struggling to make ends meet.  Inflation is making the financial struggles of these families even greater. COVID has negatively impacted production and shipping.  Over the last months, we see signs of economic recovery as unemployment falls and people return to work and shopping.  But the result is that now demand for many goods exceeds supply and we face inflation.  It took time for the supply chain to break, and it will take time to fix it.

The question for Senator Manchin is straight-forward:  Will West Virginians get help in the meantime, as America’s public- and private-sector leaders work together to bring COVID inflation under control? Or will West Virginians be stranded, forced to pay ever-rising prices for life’s necessities without the assistance offered by Build Back Better?

Build Back Better will cut childcare costs in half and will increase the availability of home health workers to care for elder and disabled family members.  With loved ones cared for and safe, workers are better able to get out and earn the money they need to pay doe higher food and gas costs.

Build Back Better would create tens of thousands of West Virginia jobs, cut health insurance, slash prescription drug prices, lower housing costs, and give every family with children a tax break to help pay the costs of raising a family.

This week as we celebrate friends and family at Thanksgiving, we also celebrate the House passage of Build Back Better. We urge Senator Manchin to vote to bring Build Back Better across the finish line to deliver desperately needed help to working West Virginia families.

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