Budget Reconciliation Bill Funds Key Childcare Advancements and School Infrastructure Supports, Invests in Labor Protections, & Provides Funds to Increase Access to Higher Education
Washington, DC – Today, Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) participated in the House Committee on Education & Labor's mark-up for and voted in support of the Education and Labor portion of the Build Back Better Act.
"Today, we passed a package out of committee that makes crucial investments to address our critical need for better childcare across the country, to improve access to higher education, to protect workers, and to improve school infrastructure," said Rep. Sherrill. "In order to help our economy recover from the pandemic we need to make investments and fund quality, affordable childcare that will allow parents back into the workforce. Additionally, investments in community college, the College Completion Fund, and workforce development programs will help our younger generation in attaining a degree and will provide them with crucial job training. Investments in labor protections will also help us to create the good-paying, union jobs that are the foundation of the middle class and protect workers everywhere. I'm proud that this bill makes the investments we need to help our reemployment efforts and our economic recovery."
Rep. Sherrill offered and successfully secured inclusion of the following amendment to the Build Back Better Act, alongside co-lead Rep. Mondaire Jones (NY-17):
Sherrill Amendment: Ensures no family or individual pays more than 7 percent of their income on childcare.
The Build Back Better Act contains crucial childcare provisions, including:
Requiring that families with incomes up to 75% of their state's median do not pay for childcare.
Requiring that all families pay no more than 7% of their income for childcare.
Securing universal preschool for children ages three and four years old.
Additionally, the following Rep. Sherrill priorities were included in the Build Back Better Act:
Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (H.R. 842): Creates civil monetary penalties for employers who violate the National Labor Relations Act.
FINISH Act (H.R. 4083): Provides $8 billion for the College Completion Fund.
National Apprenticeship Act (H.R. 447): Provides $5 billion for registered apprenticeship programs, youth apprenticeship programs, and pre-apprenticeship programs.
The Build Back Better Act also supports schools and higher education, by:
Providing $35 billion to prevent child hunger by improving access to free school meals.
Funding two years of tuition-free community college for all students, reducing tuition at HBCUs and MSIs, and increasing maximum Pell Grant awards.
Providing $80 billion to repair, modernize, or replace crumbling and outdated school buildings.
Providing $80 billion for workforce development and training.
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