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

Following the House passage of the Build Back Better Act, LGBTQI+ leaders applauded how the historic legislation will help LGBTQI+ people and their families 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.

LGBTQI+ 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

Family Equality: "We applaud the House for passing #BuildBackBetter! This legislation includes critical supports for #LGBTQ+ families like:
Extended #ChildTaxCredit
4 weeks of paid family and medical leave
Universal pre-k
And so much more!
Now, it's the Senate's turn! We urge the Senate to quickly pass @POTUS' #BuildBackBetter framework." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Human Rights Campaign (HRC): Today was a major step forward for LGBTQ+ folks across the country. @POTUS's #BuildBackBetter is going to be a game-changer and will create lasting improvement for millions of people and their families. 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ Americans live in poverty and rates are even higher for our transgender community. Now, we're investing in those who need it most. #BuildBackBetter. Currently, less than half of employer-paid leave policies cover parents of all genders equally or are inclusive of the many ways families welcome a child. #BuildBackBetter contains 4 weeks of paid leave & expands the definition of family to reflect what America truly looks like. Thank you @SpeakerPelosi and @HouseDemocrats for passing #BuildBackBetter. On to the Senate!" [Tweet, 11/19/21]

GLAAD: "LGBTQ families are more likely to live in poverty than non-LGBTQ families. This bill cuts childcare costs, adds healthcare access, makes more housing available and affordable, ensures families have enough to eat, lowers taxes, and adds protections against violence." [Tweet, 11/22/21]

Imani Rupert-Gordon, Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR): "Today's passage of the Build Back Better Act in the House of Representatives represents a historic investment in the well-being of people across the country. Not only does this legislation actively work to combat the climate crisis and protect our future, it will dramatically expand the social safety net and will provide critical support for those across the country, including a disproportionate number of LGBTQ people. This bill makes the largest investment in affordable housing in the history of this country protecting LGBTQ people who are much more likely to experience homelessness and housing instability. In addition, this bill will revitalize affordable public transportation making it easier and more affordable for LGBTQ folks in the most rural parts of the country to connect to critical services and safer spaces. NCLR is excited to continue to partner with the Biden administration to ensure that this revolutionary bill is implemented in a way that supports everyone in the LGBTQ community. NCLR will continue to push to make sure that this revolutionary bill is passed in the Senate and enacted in law." [Statement, 11/20/21]

Lambda Legal: "We joined @civilrightsorg in calling on the Senate to pass #BuildBackBetter, including its explicit inclusion of federal non-discrimination language that accompanies any provisions related to childcare. The pandemic brought to light how essential childcare and early learning are to our country, but we must ensure that federal funds for these critical services will not be allocated to discriminatory organizations. #BuildBackBetter is our chance to boost access to child care and provide opportunities for LGBTQ+ parents and children." [Tweet, 11/19/21]

The National LGBTQ Anti-Poverty Action Network: "This morning the House passed #BuildBackBetter! This is great news for #LGBTQ people! It includes investments in:
- cash support
- Medicaid expansion
- universal prek
- childcare
- affordable housing
- climate action
- & more!
Next stop is the Senate!" [Tweet, 11/19/21]

Jerame Davis, Executive Director, Pride at Work: "Build Back Better is a huge step forward for all working people and will have some major benefits for LGBTQ workers. The childcare provisions, the nutrition assistance, and the expansion of healthcare are a lifeline to LGBTQ families and the increased Earned Income Tax Credit could reduce the poverty gap for LGBTQ working people. We urge the U.S. Senate to take up the Build Back Better Act for swift passage." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Members of Congress

Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline, Chair, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus: "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the lives of millions of Americans by reducing costs for everything from prescription drugs to childcare, creating good paying union jobs by addressing the urgency of the climate crisis, and cutting taxes for working families. And by making sure that none of these investments add to the deficit by making the wealthiest individuals and largest corporations pay their fair share in taxes." [Statement, 11/18/21]

Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig, Co-Chair, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus: "I'm pleased that the Build Back Better Act contains a number of my district's priorities to expand access and lower the cost of healthcare, invest in working families and provide support to rural communities and family farmers. I'm especially pleased that this bill is fully paid for and that all indications are that it will actually help reduce the deficit." [Statement, 11/19/21]

Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids, Co-Chair, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus: "Though not final, the nonpartisan CBO score and prior Treasury estimates showed that the current package is fiscally responsible and paid for by making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share. It is not perfect, but it is overwhelmingly good, and it delivers on the policies that our community has supported from the start: capping health care and prescription drug costs, closing the Medicaid coverage gap, tackling climate change, and lowering the cost of living for families on everyday things like health insurance, child care, and education." [Statement, 11/19/21]

New York Congressman Mondaire Jones, Co-Chair, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus: "Today is an historic day for our nation, and for the great people of Westchester and Rockland Counties. Thanks to the leadership of progressives—who insisted on passing not just the bipartisan infrastructure bill, but also the larger Build Back Better Act—the House passed the most significant investment in our nation and our people in more than half a century. The bill will guarantee that high-quality child care is affordable for every family in America; save the planet from climate catastrophe while creating millions of good-paying, union jobs; expand Medicare to include hearing; continue to cut child poverty in half through an extension of the expanded Child Tax Credit; make an historic investment in housing affordability; lift the cap on the State and Local Tax deduction that has unjustly burdened working families in Westchester and Rockland; and so much more. I'm especially proud that this bill contains key provisions that I led the fight to secure: universal child care and an increase in the SALT deduction cap to $80,000." [Statement, 11/19/21]

New York Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, Co-Chair, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus: "It's long past time that we invest in America's families and future. The Build Back Better Act will do just that by delivering investments to lower health costs and the price of prescription drugs, combat the climate crisis, and improve the accessibility and affordability of child care." [Statement, 11/19/21]

New Hampshire Congressman Chris Pappas, Co-Chair, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus: "This legislation will lower taxes while bringing down the cost of the everyday expenses that burden so many Granite Staters. It will invest in a strong workforce that will help our small businesses and economy thrive. It will lift up working people, give our kids the best head start we can, and chart a course for a healthier, stronger, more resilient future. [Statement, 11/19/21]

Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan, Co-Chair, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus: "This morning's vote is why American voters put Democrats in charge. This transformational bill will help families across the country. Tens of millions of American families will get a tax break. It lowers the cost of childcare for parents and prescription drugs for seniors. It creates millions of jobs, many of which tackle climate change. And it's paid for by the wealthy and corporations who have not paid their fair share of taxes. This wildly popular agenda that the American people will benefit from is one step closer to the finish line. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to get this bill done and send it to the President's desk as soon as possible." [Statement, 11/19/21]

California Congressman Mark Takano, Co-Chair, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus: "After many months of intense negotiations, today is a monumental day in the history of our nation as House Democrats successfully passed the remainder of President Biden's agenda, the Build Back Better Act, and took a concrete step toward delivering for the American people. This is a transformative investment in our families, our workforce, and our climate that is fully paid for by making big corporations and the wealthiest few pay their fair share. Make no mistake, we still have much work to do, but with the passage of this bill, we are ensuring that working parents have paid family leave and the resources they need to re-enter and succeed in the workforce with peace of mind; we are ensuring that our planet is protected for future generations; and we are ensuring that people have access to affordable healthcare and prescription drugs. It's not enough to merely recover from the nearly two-year-long pandemic, we must build back better. I urge my Senate colleagues to further advance this important legislation and put us on the path to doing just that." [Statement, 11/19/21]

New York Congressman Ritchie Torres, Co-Chair, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus: "The #BuildBackBetterAct passed by @HouseDemocrats
will deliver historic, life-changing investments for safe, decent affordable housing. I was proud to work w @RepMaxineWaters to secure $150B for the single largest investment in affordable housing in our nation's history […] As the product of public housing, it is clear to me that the housing crisis most severely impacts the most marginalized among us. Finally, under @POTUS & the support of @HouseDemocrats these housing investments will ensure we deliver broad and equitable benefits to all Americans." [Tweet, 11/19/21]