Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia votes to pass the Build Back Better Act and bring once-in-a-generation investments to lower costs, improve care, and invest in hardworking Americans.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia voted to pass H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act. The Act, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 220 to 213, provides wide-ranging support for programs to lower costs, increase access to critical care, and invest in hardworking families.

"Today's historic vote will transform the lives of millions of Americans who are still recovering from the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29). "Texas families will live healthier lives by accessing affordable lifesaving medication and go back to work with the jobs of the future. Children will go back to school and mothers will rejoin the workforce and achieve their career dreams. Our country will Build Back Better for all, not for just a few. This once-in-a-generation investment will be remembered by our grandchildren as the time we came together as a nation to build our American dream."

The Build Back Better Act will address the issues affecting hardworking Americans and prepare families for a brighter future without raising taxes on families making less than $400,000 annually. H.R. 5376 is paid for with provisions that ensure the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share, while expanding opportunity for working Americans and small businesses.

Build Back Better will invest directly in working families by reducing costs and expanding options for child care. This is especially important for Texans, where the average family pays more than $777 per month. Specifically, this bill would:

• Drastically cut the cost of child care for 9-in-10 families in Texas with young children to empower working parents to return to the workforce with confidence.

• Establish a universal, no-cost preschool program for over half a million Texas children aged 3-4.

• Expand child nutrition services to serve an additional 1.6 million children across Texas.

The Build Back Better Act will also fight the inflation that is hurting Texans' pocketbooks by making medical coverage more affordable and directly reducing the price of prescription drugs. H.R. 5376 will:

• Allow Medicare to negotiate with the pharmaceutical companies to ensure fair prices for life-saving medication.

• Cap the amount that seniors pay out-of-pocket for their Medicare Part D drugs

• Set a maximum cap of $35/mo for insulin for all Americans.

• Expand eligibility for Affordable Care Act coverage to 1.5 million uninsured Texans.

H.R. 5376 will also continue the investments made in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in hard infrastructure and climate resiliency. Build Back Better will:

• Fund programs to protect our communities from dangerous extreme weather events.

• Invest in initiatives to build our clean energy infrastructure.

Having passed in the House of Representatives, the Build Back Better Act will now advance to the Senate.

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Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent the Texas 29th Congressional District. She serves on the House Judiciary and Financial Services Committees.