The US House of Representatives’ passage of the Build Back Better Act (BBB) is a huge step forward to increasing opportunity, reducing poverty, and shrinking racial inequities for Mississippi children, families, and workers.
If enacted, the Build Back Better Act would spur a historic reduction in child poverty and a marked decrease in child hunger. It would provide affordable, quality health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans. It would expand access to stable, affordable housing at a time when housing instability and homelessness are a reality for many in Mississippi. BBB would strengthen families and help parents stay in the labor force by reducing the cost of child care, expanding free access to universal pre-K, and providing paid family and medical leave. Together, these investments will help narrow racial disparities in access to critical services that impact families in Black and rural communities across Mississippi.
As the Senate takes up the Build Back Better Act, time is of the essence. If Congress fails to pass BBB by the end of the year, improvements in the Child Tax Credit (CTC) – which is successfully helping tens of millions of families with kids cover the cost of raising children – will expire. Families will see their credit reduced or eliminated entirely if the CTC expires. This would mean payments of up to $300 per child, per month, that families are using to meet basic needs will stop after December 15. With costs of everyday essentials rising, Mississippi families are counting on Congress to not take away this lifeline.
We appreciate the members of Mississippi’s House delegation that supported the bill. Now, we urge our Senate delegation to help get it quickly over the finish line. The sooner the Senate passes the Build Back Better Act, the sooner families in our state will benefit from its important investments.
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