For Immediate Release: November 18, 2021
Contact: Will Pregman, 702.752.0656 [email protected]
Battle Born Progress Statement on House Passage of Build Back Better Package
Historic legislation will lower prescription drugs, increase health care access and create millions of new jobs
NEVADA – In response to House Democrats passing the Build Back Better Act, which includes provisions to lower the cost of prescription drugs, Annette Magnus, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress issued the following statement:
“Passing the Build Back Better Act, a historic investment in our human and social infrastructure, is a necessary step forward for getting our nation back on the right track, and is especially important for Nevada. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats, including Nevada’s own Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee, and Steven Horsford, deserve our thanks and recognition for the tremendous effort it took to get this done, from fighting to include lowering drug prices for working Americans to pushing to extend the Child Tax Credit, ensuring that children lifted out of poverty stay out. However, Rep. Mark Amodei voted against this legislation, deciding to side with his party instead of hard working Nevadans that will benefit from this transformative legislation.
“After months of obstruction from Big Pharma and the Billionaire Band, their lobbyists, and lawmakers who feel more accountable to their donors than their constituents, Democratic House members have scored a hard-fought victory for Nevada’s patients, seniors and workers. For the first time, drug corporations will be required to negotiate prices in Medicare Part D, and they’ll face penalties for raising the price of prescription medicines faster than the rate of inflation. While these are modest measures, they are historic and represent an important step forward that advocates and lawmakers can build on in the future to lower the price of even more drugs and ensure everyone can get medicine.”
“Additionally, we’re glad to see investment in combating climate change included, as Nevada faces heightened threats of wildfires, water scarcity, and wildlife habitat loss . The jobs that come with this investment will be good-paying, sustainable, will lead to cleaner air, and will help Nevada to remain competitive nationally. The investment in Universal Pre-K is another big deal, as this will allow Nevada to expand access to free high quality preschool to nearly 66,000 additional 3 and 4 year-olds. The Act also allows the quality for those already enrolled to be improved, so that every child in Nevada has a chance. Childcare costs must come down so working families can get back on their feet.”
“It is encouraging to see steps taken to make the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share, even though more can certainly be done. As shown by Americans for Tax Fairness, the wealth accumulated by billionaires over the past 20 months tops $2 trillion, which is more than Congress is considering on the entire Build Back Better agenda over the next TEN YEARS. We urge the Senate to take up and immediately pass this legislation, and we look forward to working with lawmakers to implement it so that Nevadans can continue its recovery.”
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About Battle Born Progress: Battle Born Progress, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed. We support, engage, and mobilize the progressive community through bold leadership, strategic communications, accountability, and education. We are on the cutting edge of new media and are the go-to source for progressive issues and advocacy for traditional media. Learn more at https://battlebornprogress.org/.
