WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Black Leaders Applaud House Passage of Build Back Better Act

Following the House passage of the Build Back Better Act, Black leaders applauded how the historic legislation will help Black families and strengthen Historically-Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) 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.

Black 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:

Organizations

Derrick Johnson, President & CEO, NAACP. "The NAACP applauds members of the House of Representatives for passing the Build Back Better Act. This historic legislation will not only continue efforts to fight climate change but will also:

• provide crucial funding for families in reducing the cost of child and eldercare
• ensure a comprehensive child tax credit
• provide universal pre-K
• boosts Pell grants for college tuition
• provide guaranteed paid leave
• expand Medicaid and Medicare
• lower the cost of prescription drugs
• provide investments in worker training programs and in affordable and low-income housing

The Build Back Better Act will have monumental positive impacts on addressing long-standing racial disparities impacting Black communities across this country. It will provide the investments necessary to reduce the generational impacts of child poverty, address access to fair and affordable housing, provide equitable educational opportunities, provide our elders with the support the medical resources they need, create equity by providing time off with pay, and create training programs that expand access to new and in-demand jobs. These investments represent a step in the right direction and have the ability to chip away at decades of economic disenfranchisement maintained by past racist policies and racialized practices. While we celebrate the passing of the Build Back Better Act, we now urge the Senate to expediently pass the House bill, with no amendments, and make these long-overdue investments a reality that will reshape the lives of all Black families and communities." [Statement, 11/19/2021]

Melanie Campbell, President, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation: "Thank you @TheBlackCaucus @RepBeatty @WhipClyburn @RepBarbaraLee for your leadership in getting the #BuildBackBetterAct passed today! You delivered for the Black America and all of the American people! @ncbcp @ncbcp_bwr @BlackYouthVote" [Tweet, 11/19/2021]

Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO, National Women's Law Center: "With this vote, Congress brings tens of millions of women, families, and caregivers closer to a future where their work and sacrifice are truly valued and rewarded. The bill passed today includes historic investments in child care and home and community-based services, affordable housing, the establishment of universal pre-kindergarten, birthing justice, comprehensive paid family and medical leave, and the expanded Child Tax Credit–all paid for by making the ultra-wealthy and large corporations pay a fairer share in taxes–and long-overdue prescription drug pricing reform. This new future for women is generations in the making, and the Senate should immediately take action to make these life-changing investments in working families a reality." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Convener, National African American Clergy Network: "National African American Clergy Network of denominations & independent church leaders applaud Biden Admin & House of Rep for passing the transformational Build Back Better Bill including vital Child Tax Credit, Affordable Housing & HBCU infrastructure support." [Tweet, 11/19/2021]

Dr. Harry L. Williams, President & CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund: "We are excited that the #BuildBackBetter Act has passed the House - now the Senate must quickly follow suit. This is a game changer for #HBCUs. Thank you @SpeakerPelosi, @BobbyScott and @RepAdams for your leadership." [Tweet, 11/19/2021]

Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO, United Negro College Fund (UNCF): "Early this morning, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better bill, which is a proposal originally put forward by President Biden earlier this year. After lengthy debate, the party-line vote was a relief to those on Capitol Hill, but the relief to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and students originally from low-to-moderate income backgrounds was the fact that this version of the bill contains funding for HBCUs five-times higher than the mid-September bill marked up in committee. HBCUs can be proud that elected officials from executive and legislative branches stood with UNCF (United Negro College Fund) to make sure that while other popular provisions were eliminated, HBCU funding grew. First, my hat is off to every member of the House who supported this legislation. The billions of dollars that will support HBCUs will enable significant investments in operational improvements, infrastructure modernization, capacity building and research—all of which will strengthen America's HBCUs and will better prepare our students now and in the future for the rigors and requirements of 21st century careers in the global workplace. I am grateful to so many House members who, once again, stood with HBCUs in voting for these increases and championed the needs of all low-income college students by including this significant increase in America's needs-based scholarship, the Pell Grant. Now, I call on all members of the Senate to support this historic legislation and send it to President Biden for his signature." [Statement, 11/19/2021]

Lodriguez V. Murray, Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Government United Negro College Fund (UNCF): "'Tell them we are Rising' isn't just a slogan or program title anymore," said Lodriguez V. Murray, senior vice president for public policy and government affairs at UNCF. "The House-passed Build Back Better bill saw funding for HBCUs, and similar institutions grow from $2 billion to $10 billion—and our policy differences were completely resolved. If you want to know the power of HBCUs, UNCF and the Members of Congress who fight for them, there you have it.
"While we have many Members of Congress to thank," Murray continued, "from the House leadership, including Whip James Clyburn (D-SC), to CBC Chairwoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Higher Education Subcommittee Chairwoman Frederica Wilson (D-FL), and Education Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA), we must show particular gratitude to Bipartisan HBCU Caucus founder and co-chair Alma Adams (D-NC). Her advocacy, behind closed doors and out in the open, is a game changer for our institutions. Now, the Senate must work its will. All we ask is that the needs of our institutions and the students who need the most assistance be at the forefront as this bill advances." [Statement, 11/19/2021]

Congressional Black Caucus: "The #BuildBackBetterAct is a once-in-a-generation legislation that will lower everyday costs burdening working families, and, is fully paid for by making big corporations and the wealthiest pay their fair share." [Tweet, 11/19/2021]

HBCU Presidents

Dr. Paul Jones, President, Fort Valley State University: "On behalf of the Council of 1890 Universities, we are pleased to see the inclusion of several meaningful investments for our schools in the Build Back Better legislation," said Dr. Paul Jones, President of Fort Valley State University and Chairman of the Council of 1890 Universities. "We thank Chairman David Scott and Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and their staffs for their hard work in making the infrastructure needs of the 1890 Universities a legislative priority," concluded President Jones.

Dr. Makola Abdullah, President, Virginia State University: "The expansion of the 1890 Universities scholarship program and the new Agriculture Infrastructure and Extension funding included in the Build Back Better bill is a game-changer," said Dr. Makola Abdullah, President of Virginia State University. "We hope the Senate will quickly pass the BBB legislation and we thank all of the Members for their ongoing engagement on behalf of our Universities," concluded President Abdullah.

State and Local Elected Officials

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, President, African American Mayors Association. "My colleagues and I are thrilled that the House has advanced the Build Back Better Act, a giant leap toward becoming law. The bill will transform our nation for decades to come. It will improve access to economic prosperity through provisions that strengthen health care, affordable housing, child care, and employment. For example, the package includes four weeks of paid family leave -- a revolutionary provision to strengthen families and help working parents maintain their jobs. The package will also create more than one million affordable homes, allocate significant funding to youth apprenticeship programs, provide additional money for programs that serve out-of-school youth in high-crime and high-poverty areas, and fund employment activities for justice-involved young adults who have dropped out of school. The Build Back Better Act delivers on the president's commitments to communities of color. Now, the Senate must act and send the bill to the president's desk so that we can begin to make some of our most intractable racial justice issues vestiges of the past." [Press Release, 11/19/21]

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison: "So important for US Senate to pass BBB. Includes legislation which will make generational improvements in the lives of millions of Americans. Great stuff for kids, family leave, climate and more. Thanks US House. Now let's finish the job." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

"BBB includes $200 billion for 4 weeks of paid leave, a permanent national paid leave program giving workers—including self-employed— 4 weeks of paid family & medical leave. I hope folks understand that this is really BIG. US joins rest of the developed world on paid leave." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

"BBB House Bill includes $400 billion for universal pre-K, free universal preschool for all three and four year olds! Awesome. Truly."[Tweet, 11/19/21]

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones: "#BuildBackBetter will expand child care, extend the #ChildTaxCredit and fund community violence intervention programs - all while having corporations pay their fair share. @RepCori fought hard to pass this legislation through the House. The Senate must take up & pass this bill." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas: "Thank you to Speaker Pelosi and the US House majority for helping our country build back better. Investing in the social infrastructure of our country helps our seniors, children, and families. I hope the Senate acts swiftly to support Kansas City and communities around America." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin: "Thank you to the @HouseDemocrats for working through the night to pass Build Back Better. This is a transformative piece of legislation that will change the course of many lives here in Birmingham and across our nation." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx: "Congratulations to the US House leadership on today's passage of #BuildBackBetterAct. Now, to the Senate." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart: "The House of Representatives took a giant step forward in enacting the President's economic plan to create jobs, reduce costs, tackle the climate crisis, make our country more competitive, and rebuild the backbone of the country." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

State Legislators

Florida State Senator Shevrin "Shev" Jones: "#BuildBackBetter LET'S GO JOE" [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta: "BUILD BACK BETTER" [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Tennessee State Senator Raumesh Akbari: "#BuildBackBetter makes the largest investment in childcare & early edu EVER! It will provide Tennesseans w/ the healthcare we so desperately need, combat climate change and will prepare us for the jobs of the future. It will in essence- make life better for all. It's a #BFD." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan: "The Build Back Better Act passed in the U.S. House! It's the most transformative investment in children and caregiving in generations, the largest effort to combat climate change in American history, and the biggest expansion of affordable health care in a decade." [Tweet, 11/19/21]