Kahele Statement on House Approval of Build Back Better Act

Statement

Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele (HI-02), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, commended the House on its passage of the Build Back Better Act, adding crucial investments in working families to the investments made in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Build Back Better Act includes initiatives championed by Congressman Kahele and passed with broad community support. The Build Back Better Act will now move to consideration by the U.S. Senate.

"This legislation delivers for Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi is on the front lines of the climate crisis, the affordable housing crisis and crumbling infrastructure crisis. Our state needs these critical investments, and I applaud the House for passing the Build Back Better Act to make the robust and equitable investments our communities need," said Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele. "This is a once-in-a-generation investment in the backbone of America: working families. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress and the Biden Administration to pass the Build Back Better Act out of the Senate as soon as possible."

The Build Back Better Act will expand access to publicly-funded preschool in Hawaiʻi from three percent of three- and four-year-olds to 100 percent; expand Medicaid coverage to 18,000 currently uninsured people in Hawaiʻi; extend the Child Tax Credit monthly payments to keep our keiki fed, clothed and housed; cut taxes by up to $1,500 for 71,700 low-wage workers in Hawaiʻi through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) expansion; and more.

Together, the Build Back Better Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represent a historic investment in the most pressing needs facing our nation.

Congressman Kahele secured increased investment in wastewater management funding in both the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Build Back Better Act:

$250 millionover five years to a grant program that allows nonprofit organizations to receive funds for the construction, repair, or replacement of decentralized wastewater systems for low or moderate income households, or groups of such households. The program gives priority to households that do not have access to sanitary sewer disposal systems.
$150 millionfor grants to States, municipalities and nonprofits to address cesspools and to construct, repair or replace decentralized wastewater systems in the Build Back Better Act.
The Build Back Better Act makes historic investments for the Native Hawaiian community including:

An additional two-year extension of 100 percent Federal Medical Assistance Percentages for Native Hawaiian Health Centers first authorized in the American Rescue Plan
$50 million for distribution to Papa Ola Lōkahi and the Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems, serving communities throughout the neighbor islands.
$200 million for Native American and Native Hawaiian language and early childhood educator training and professional development
This bill allows for Medicare to negotiate drug pricing for the first time which will lower prescription drug prices for all Americans.

Allows the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate the prices of up to ten drugs for plan year 2025, which then ramps up to 20 drugs by plan year 2028 and each plan year after
Lower the cost of prescription drugs by 25 percent to 60 percent
Lower insulin costs so that Americans with diabetes don't pay more than $35 per month for insulin
This bill will create universal, comprehensive paid family and medical leave for the first time in the United States.

Starting in January 2024, all workers will be eligible for paid leave for new parents, workers dealing with their own serious medical issues or workers who need leave to care for a loved one with a serious illness by providing workers with a not taxed federal benefit that will replace wages by about two-thirds for the average worker.
The Build Back Better Act will make the most transformative investments in our keiki and caregiving in generations including:

Extending the Child Tax Credit for one more year, continuing to lift millions of American children out of poverty
$100 billion to support high quality child care during the first three years by increasing wages for early childhood workforce and investing in child care quality and supply. This bill would also cap families' child care copayments to ensure that no eligible family pays more than 7 percent of their income on child care
$18 billion to carry out a universal, high quality, free preschool program
$1 billion for grants for land grant universities, which includes support for Native Hawaiian serving institutions
This bill enables the construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of more than 1 million affordable homes through investments like:

$65 billion to address the capital needs backlog of public housing
$10 billion to provide first-time, first-generation homebuyers with financial assistance
$1 billion for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities' housing and community development needs
This bill will set the United States on course to meet its climate targets through initiatives including:

$50 million for climate resilience and adaptation activities that serve the Native Hawaiian community
Tax incentives and funding to spur the deployment of renewable energy, alternative, clean fuels, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, green buildings and the development of a skilled, green energy workforce
The Build Back Better Act invests in veteran services by expanding Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) capacity.

$2.4 billion to address immediate and long-term infrastructure needs of the VA nationwide
$268 million for the VA to conduct an education and training program for health professional students and residents by increasing its number of health professions residency positions
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act makes long-overdue investments in our infrastructure including:

Transportation
$1.2 billion to Hawaiʻi to address reconstruction, resurfacing and rehabilitation of our highways
$339 million for bridge replacement and repairs in Hawaiʻi
$246 million for infrastructure development at our airports in Hawaiʻi
$312 million to improve public transportation options across the state
$18 million to support the expansion of an electric vehicle charging network in Hawai"i
Broadband Access
A minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state which will reach at least 33,000 Hawai"i residents currently without broadband coverage
Ensuring that 280,000 low income residents are eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit so all families can access affordable internet
$60 million for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to provide high-speed internet access to more Native Hawaiian families
Safe Water
Competitive grant opportunities including $250 million for grants over five years for individual households with low to moderate income to upgrade from cesspool systems
$390 million to improve water infrastructure across the state and ensure that clean, safe drinking water is a right in all communities.

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