WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Rural and Nutrition Leaders Applaud House Passage of Build Back Better Act

Following the House passage of the Build Back Better Act, rural and nutrition leaders applauded how the historic legislation will invest in climate-smart agriculture and nutrition programs while lowering costs, creating good-paying, union jobs, and dealing everybody into the economy.

As Nobel Prize-winning economists and independent ratings agencies have confirmed, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Build Back Better Act are fully paid for, will reduce the deficit, and ease inflationary pressures by making the wealthiest individuals and corporations pay their fair share and stopping them from cheating on their tax bills.

Rural and nutrition leaders from across the country are applauding the passage of the historic legislation through the House and urging the Senate to take urgent action so President Biden can sign it into law and ensure we can build back better.

See below for what they are saying:

Feeding America: "Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, applauds the House of Representatives for passage of the Build Back Better Act, which would increase investments to help end child hunger. The bill includes funding for the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) program, which will help 29 million children access food during the summer, and an expansion of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which will expand free school meals to nearly nine million additional children. It also continues the recent expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC), making its full value available to the families of 27 million children who previously earned too little to receive the full benefit. Together, these provisions will provide significant help toward helping children who often do not know where they will get their next meal, particularly in communities of color who suffer disproportionately from hunger. " [Statement, 11/19/21]

Luis Guardia, President Food Research & Action Center: "The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) applauds the House of Representatives for passing the Build Back Better Act. This is a critical next step in the right direction toward addressing the alarming rates of childhood hunger and poverty in this country." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Lisa Davis, Senior Vice President, No Kid Hungry Campaign: "The #BuildBackBetter Act has been passed in the House, and it includes critical provisions that would create bold, transformational change for children facing hunger and poverty in our nation. Now, it heads to the Senate where we strongly urge swift action." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Matt Hildreth, Executive Director, RuralOrganizing.Org: "Today, Democrats in the United States House of Representatives passed President Biden's Build Back Better Act, which makes an historic investment in rural America. The BBB Act will impact all aspects of life in rural America and Rural Organizing.Org strongly supports the legislation. One key provision, the Rural Partnership Program, ensures local rural experts have the tools they need to improve rural wages and bring good paying jobs back to rural America. This is truly a landmark program and will help guarantee that other investments are made wisely with local input. We applaud House Democrats for taking this step today and encourage every Democrat in the United States Senate, particularly those with many rural constituents, to support the legislation and insure its final passage. Passing the Build Back Better Act sends a strong signal to all Americans, but particularly to rural Americans, that the Democrats understand their needs, concerns, and challenges - and that they are on our side." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Eric Deeble, Policy Director, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: "The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) applauds the House of Representatives for recognizing the importance of this long-awaited climate and social spending package which addresses some of the most pressing issues facing farming and food systems today. Overall, this package includes more than $90 billion in agriculture, forestry, rural development and nutrition investments. In the face of a changing climate, extreme weather events impacting farmers and ranchers, and significant supply chain disruptions impacting the food system nationwide, these investments are long overdue. We urge swift action by the Senate to get this crucial legislation passed with agricultural spending intact, to help build back a resilient food and farming system and confront the climate crisis." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Focus on Rural America: "House passage of @POTUS's #BuildBackBetter bill takes us one step closer to supporting hard-working American families. The tax relief, childcare assistance, and #RuralPartnershipProgram invest in our communities and support those who need it most. [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Rural Community Assistance Partnership: "RCAP applauds House passage of the #BuildBackBetterAct, legislation that will invest billions in communities, including funds for USDA rural water programs,the Rural Partnership Program,lead pipe removal,& creation of a permanent low-income water customer assistance program." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Kayla Bergman, Senior Policy Associate, Center for Rural Affairs: ""This funding has implications for rural communities and our natural resources. Cover crops provide our farmers and landowners with improved soil health and carbon sequestration ability, and our communities with improved water quality. This boost in funding will help ensure that farmers who are doing the hard work of investing in conservation have the financial and technical assistance necessary to be successful. We would like to thank lawmakers for recognizing the importance of supporting farmers, landowners, and our rural communities." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Rev. Douglas Greenaway, President & CEO, National WIC Association: ""Today's passage of the Build Back Better Act in the House brings the nation one step closer to reaffirming our collective commitment to American families. The bill comprehensively seeks to end childhood poverty, tackle systemic disparities in healthcare and childcare, and expand access to child nutrition programs. WIC families raising young children will benefit from the bill's expansion of the Child Tax Credit and the bill's thoughtful inclusion of paid family and medical leave. Taken together, the Build Back Better Act reinvests in American families and provides a stronger foundation for families with young children as the nation emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. After months of negotiation, we can no longer delay these critical investments. We urge swift action in the Senate to advance the House-passed legislation. Congress must also advance parallel processes to finalize fiscal year 2022 appropriations and secure further investments that support American families, including an extension of the WIC benefit bump. It is time to deliver for American families." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Reimaging Rural Assistance Network: "Today's House vote on the Build Back Better Act is an important step in moving its historic investment in rural communities through the Rural Partnership Program closer to reality. The Reimagining Rural Assistance Network applauds the work by the House of Representatives, and urges the Senate to act quickly to get this much needed assistance out to America's rural towns, communities and tribes to help create a locally driven sustainable and equitable future." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Joel Berg, CEO, Hunger Free America: "This historic bill overwhelmingly aids working Americans and would dramatically reduce child poverty and child hunger. While some in the media and in politics seem obsessed over the process of how this bill got passed, that's really missing the point: substantively, this is a major win for the American people. The Senate should pass it, in full, immediately. I must say, I find it amusing that opponents of the bill think comparing it to FDR's New Deal is a negative, rather than a positive comparison. The New Deal slashed hunger and poverty, eventually ended the Depression, created Social Security, built the great American middle class – and resulted in FDR being elected four times and building a political majority for his party that lasted more than 40 years. The Build Back Better Bill does indeed stand on the shoulders of the original New Deal – but that only proves that it's both smart policy and smart politics." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Appalachian Community Capital: "Today's House vote on the Build Back Better Act is an important step in moving its historic investment in rural communities through the Rural Partnership Program closer to reality." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

RuralVote.org: "The House passed Build Back Better! This is a huge investment in rural America. Build Back Better represents Democrats' best chance at proving that they are the party that fights for working people. The Senate must pass this bill!" [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Rural Democracy Initiative: "Build Back Better Act to create good-paying jobs, provide solutions for working families, and deal with the effects of climate change and lack of access to healthcare." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution: "House passes BBB w/a key provision that invests $1 billion in a new #RuralPartnershipProgram. Excellent first step in modernizing federal #rural policy, recognizing the diversity and innovation in rural America by investing directly in local leaders & local solutions." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Chris Gibbs, Ohio Farmer and Board President, Rural Voices USA: "This bill is an investment in rural America the likes of which we've not seen in generations. It focuses on kitchen table issues that rural parents, workers, business owners and farmers worry about. By investing in childcare and universal pre-school it addresses rural parents' worries that they can't afford to give their kids the same early learning opportunities offered elsewhere. By supporting health care for older Americans and those with disabilities it shines a light on elderly populations in rural America that are struggling to afford medications. By investing in community college, workforce development and apprenticeships it recognizes that, especially in rural America, not everyone's route to a successful, rewarding career runs through a four-year college. And by investing in climate-smart ag practices and disadvantaged farmers it recognizes that agriculture still forms the backbone of many rural communities." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Rev. Eugene Cho, President and CEO, Bread for the World: "The fact the House was able to pass a bill right before Thanksgiving that will help millions of families put food on the table should not be lost. As we enter the Christmas season, we are reminded that God requires us to care for our neighbors and provide food for those who experience hunger. We urge senators to keep this in mind as they work to pass their own version of the bill." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Sharon Parrott, President, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: "Today's vote brings us a critical step closer to delivering policy advances that help families meet everyday challenges such as paying rent and putting food on the table, affording child care and preschool, securing health coverage, and paying for college. The proposals in Build Back Better are based on solid research and build on successful federal and state efforts already in place. The package is paid for with sound revenue raisers and savings from lowering prescription drug prices. The Senate should avoid weakening the bill and move swiftly to pass it. The Build Back Better bill would reduce poverty substantially.The Build Back Better bill would reduce poverty substantially, particularly among children; narrow our nation's glaring racial disparities, which are the result of our long history of racism and discrimination; and move us toward an economy that works for everyone. The bill would shrink tax breaks for wealthy households and profitable corporations and give the IRS resources so it can do more to ensure that individuals and corporations pay what they legally owe. These revenue provisions — coupled with the bill's provisions that would reduce the cost of prescription drugs — are important policy advances on their own and would provide needed resources to finance the bill's investments." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Meals on Wheels America and National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs: "We thank the Leadership and Members of the House of Representatives for providing Older Americans Act (OAA) programs with a critical investment through the Build Back Better Act. The Act contains $1.2 billion in overall OAA funding, including $140 million for senior nutrition programs, like Meals on Wheels. The passage of the Build Back Better Act by the House comes at a crucial moment for senior nutrition programs as they continue to face high demand for services and rising operating costs. The resources provided for nutrition programs would fund key assets required to continue serving our nation's older adults, such as kitchen equipment, delivery vehicles and safe, accessible buildings and facilities. Senior nutrition programs address loneliness, hunger and malnutrition – offering the nutritious meals and personal connection many at-risk older adults urgently need now. We urge the Senate to ensure that this funding is included in the final Build Back Better legislation and to pass this landmark support as quickly as possible." [Statement, 11/19/21]

FoodCorps: "These investments will go a long way toward relieving child food insecurity and helping our schools improve services to children. To get to this point, FoodCorps joined hundreds of other schools and organizations to urge Congressional leadership to keep children a priority in this once-in-a-generation opportunity, including sending a letter recently with more than 100 signatures from partner organizations. With Child Nutrition Reauthorization also overdue for legislative action, FoodCorps will continue to fight for programs that will support schools, their nutrition staff, and educators to further embed healthy food into the school day. We will monitor the Build Back Better Act's legislative course, hold our elected officials accountable, and advocate on behalf of our nation's youth. FoodCorps thanks President Biden and the members of Congress who fought hard to keep child nutrition a priority in this bill." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Center for Science in the Public Interest: "The school meal investments in the #BuildBackBetter Act can help ensure millions more children have the nutrition they need to learn, grow, and thrive. Join @CSPI in urging the Senate to help us #BuildBackBetter." [Tweet, 11/19/21]