Statement from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Build Back Better Act:
Generational economic change is in our sights with the House passage of the Build Back Better Act. This is a milestone for working people, and now the Senate must finish the job and send the Build Back Better Act to President Biden’s desk without delay.
This bill is one of the most transformative investments in our country’s history. We know that for too long the status quo has benefited the wealthy few and left the majority without access to basic necessities, including high-quality, affordable child and elder care, health care, and housing. This legislation will knock down the barriers that have prevented so many workers, especially women and people of color, from finding high-quality sustainable jobs. The Build Back Better Act will remake and redefine our economy, and it is the largest-ever investment in clean energy, with domestic content and high labor standards required across the board. This is how we fight climate change the Biden way—with good union jobs.
This legislation will improve our immigration system by easing the burden for those who want to call America home. And it will hold accountable employers who attempt to union-bust with real, substantive financial penalties, making this the most significant advancement for the right to organize since passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935.
Now it is the Senate’s turn to act. The AFL-CIO and its 12.5 million members are organizing, we are mobilizing, and we will not rest until the Senate passes the Build Back Better Act.
Contact: Liz Vlock (202) 637-5018