Infrastructure, Build Back Better bills offer potential boost for families
Houston - The House has passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill and hopes to pass the Build Back Better bill before Thanksgiving.
After hitting an impass Friday, the House passed a procedural bill instead to set up passage of the Build Back Better Bill, while passing and sending infrastructure bill to the President's desk.
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The infrastructure bill not only includes $550 billion for roads, bridges, trains, and public transit. It also includes $65 billion to expand broadband access, which is key to helping kids with schooling, and helping people access jobs and information.
The Build Back Better bill has a number of items to help people financially. The White House says it would reduce premiums for Affordable Care Act healthplans by an average of $600 a year and expand Medicaid to low-income people in states such as Texas, which did not expand it.
"Which means they’ll be able to catch cancer before its spreads, get help for mental health challenges, see their doctor for all kinds of things," said Peter Clark with Texans Care for Children.
It also increases coverage for home healthcare for the elderly and disabled and lets Medicare negotiate lower drug prices and cover hearing aids.
Build Back Better would also continue the increased Child Tax Credit one more year. That's $3,000 per child age 6 to 17, and $3,600 for a child under 6.
"So families will keep seeing that money going into their pocket, which makes such a huge difference when families are getting squeezed by higher prices on gas and rent," said Clark.
The bill would limit childcare costs to 7% of a family's income for households earning under $300,000 a year.
"That family with two kids in child care could see a savings of around $900 a month. It’s a gamechanger for families who are trying to work and take care of their kids," added Clark.
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The bill offers four weeks of paid family leave for things like illness or a new baby. Plus another $90 billion in rental assistance, money to build or restore one million units of affordable housing nationwide, and $10 billion for down payment assistance for first-generation homebuyers.
The House and Senate say they're aiming to pass the Build Back Better Bill before Thanksgiving.