CHAIRMAN JEFFRIES: “WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF DELIVERING A BUILD BACK BETTER ERA AND WE’RE CLOSER THAN WE’VE EVER BEEN”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Vice Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) held a leadership press conference where they highlighted the progress House Democrats have made towards enacting President Biden’s transformative Build Back Better agenda, which will lower costs for everyday Americans while creating millions of good-paying jobs.
CHAIRMAN JEFFRIES: In the midst of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as well as Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate, delivered the New Deal to address the economic crisis and the conditions that were confronting the American people at the time, and it was transformative. In the 1960s, as America was trying to create a more just and fair and equitable society, President Johnson and Democratic majorities in the House and in the Senate delivered important civil rights legislation to address Jim Crow and elevate the right to vote, as well as put in place many different policies connected to the Great Society in order to create a more inclusive society. We had the New Deal era, we had the Great Society civil rights era, we are on the verge of delivering a Build Back Better era and we're closer than we've ever been.
President Biden promised that we were going to lift up everyday Americans, not simply return to pre-pandemic normal, and that is what the Bipartisan Infrastructure Agreement and the Build Back Better Act will deliver. Overall, as Democrats, we're focused on dealing with three top line issues: crushing the virus, strengthening the economy for everyday Americans by Building Back Better and, of course, defending our democracy. Over the next few days, over the next week or so, we will deliver on that important promise to Build Back Better.
We're thankful for the leadership of President Biden and the conversations that he has been having. Everything continues to move in a very positive direction and we're hopeful and we're optimistic about the prospects of delivering something historic, transformative and bigger than one could possibly have imagined on behalf of everyday Americans.
[…]
VICE CHAIR AGUILAR: We're on the verge and have a chance to deliver one of the central promises that the President made for his vision for this country. A generational investment, as the Chairman mentioned, in the American infrastructure in a bipartisan way that will bring tangible and positive change to communities like mine. Passing this bill and improving and upgrading our infrastructure, our roads and bridges and transitioning to cleaner emissions is the right thing to do and will create thousands of good-paying jobs. The greatest country in the world should have a modern and reliable infrastructure to sustain economic development and make life easier for working people. It means reducing our traffic by investing in public transit and it means reducing emissions by expanding access to electric vehicles and ensuring that we have a cleaner economy.
As we work to pass this Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, negotiations continue for the Build Back Better agenda and these bills together will represent a significant investment in the American people that we haven't seen in decades. This is about making sure, as the Chairman mentioned, that we grow our middle-class economy and we make sure that we lift families out of poverty and make life better for everyday Americans. I'm excited with my colleagues to work through these issues and to make sure that we get this done for the American people.
##
Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.
Next Article Previous Article