Yesterday, President Biden announced his latest Build Back Better Framework, and Moms applauded. This bill would make a historic investment of $555 billion in climate solutions — nearly a third of the entire package. What’s more, it will provide direct funding to communities that are disproportionately impacted by pollution and put us on a path toward climate safety.
The Build Back Better Framework represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to stop the climate crisis. Its critical climate and health provisions will help protect our children’s health and future.
Here are just a few of the critical climate line items we’re supporting in President Biden’s framework:
- Rebates and tax credits to make electric vehicles more affordable and cut energy costs for households
- $5 billion for transitioning heavy-duty vehicles to electric-powered vehicles
- A Methane Emissions Reduction Program that will drive down the methane pollution responsible for 25% of the climate change impacts we’re already experiencing
- Increased funding for monitoring air quality and cutting air pollution, including fence-line monitoring of polluting facilities, expanded national ambient air quality monitoring, air quality sensors in low-income and disadvantaged communities, and technical assistance to address air pollution at schools
- $25 billion for clean energy and transportation manufacturing, meaning more high-wage and in-demand jobs for our families
- Critical Black maternal health provisions from the Black Maternal Health “Momnibus” Act, including $85 million for the community-based programs and identification of climate risk zones for pregnant and postpartum people outlined in the Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act
- $11 billion for national climate and resilience service programs that will put millions of young people to work in good-paying jobs
- $3 billion for environmental justice block grants for communities disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis, plus additional funding for legacy pollution cleanup
After this year of intensifying fires, heat, droughts, storms, and floods, the urgency of climate action has never been clearer. And the stakes could not be higher. Congress must act to bring down the climate pollution that is already wreaking havoc in our communities.