President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act passed the House last week and now heads to the Senate. Lawmakers approved the legislation 220-213. Every Democrat but one backed it, overcoming unanimous Republican opposition. Arizona legislators are split on their opinions on the $2 trillion bill.
Congressman Paul Gosar voted against the bill, calling it the “Build Back Worse” bill, arguing the legislation will increase the national debt by 25%.
Gosar said in a press release, “This massive spending bill includes free college tuition and amnesty for millions of illegal aliens already in our country. The legislation doubles the size of the Internal Revenue Service so they can spy on your banking deposits and go after every penny you earn. It shamefully removes provisions that protect taxpayers from being forced to pay for abortions. It includes over $1.2 trillion in crushing tax increases on small businesses and the middle-class while increasing the national debt by nearly 25%. The legislation spends over $500 billion to appease Green New Deal lunatics and implement their radical climate change agenda. It expands welfare benefits by eliminating work requirements for able-bodied individuals who would rather sit at home on their couch collecting a taxpayer funded paycheck rather than get a job. Also tucked away in this massive bill is a little-known provision to fund and implement gun control measures, depriving law-abiding gun owners of their Second Amendment rights.
“Democrats, blind to the wishes of working-class Americans, are poised to enact the largest tax increase and social spending plan in the history of our country while granting amnesty to millions of lawbreakers. Under this plan, Americans at every income level will see their taxes increase. I voted against this destructive, debt crushing, big-spending socialist plan,” concluded Congressman Gosar.
Tom O’Halleran voted yes on the bill, arguing that the bill invests in Arizona children and their education, hardworking families, health care, lowering prescription drug prices for seniors.
“While I have supported key provisions of this legislation as the package evolved—like measures to address climate change and to lower the cost of prescription drugs—the partisan bickering and political games that have complicated and delayed a vote on this bill have deeply frustrated both commonsense Arizonans and practical lawmakers on both sides of the aisle,” stated O’Halleran. “However, I know that this legislation truly invests in the health and well-being of our children and in rural Arizona families and tribal communities. This package brings long-overdue change to the systems we’ve undervalued for years, creating new jobs and opportunities for working Arizonans that will finally work to bring concrete solutions that deescalate the climate crisis.”
Rep. Greg Stanton voted to advance the bill to the House and believes the bill will help create more jobs and lower inflation.
“The Build Back Better Act makes a historic investment in America’s middle class, and I was proud to vote to advance it. It will spur long-term economic growth by investing in our workforce, increasing labor force participation—and creating good jobs. Leading economists confirm this will lower everyday costs that burden Arizonans and curb inflation all while ensuring we don’t add to the national debt,” Stanton said in a press release.
“The House’s legislation takes the boldest action to fight climate change in our nation’s history—and that’s essential for Arizona’s future. It makes good on our commitment to lower prices on life-saving prescription drugs and does more to ensure that quality health care, child care, senior care, housing, and education aren’t out of reach for working families.
“This bill is still a work in progress—and I look forward to making sure the final version preserves commonsense tax laws so that the wealthy pay their fair share. But as it stands, the Build Back Better Act will make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many Arizonans,” Stanton concluded.
Rep. Debbie Lesko joined her Republican colleagues to vote no on the bill.
Lesko stated, “Today, House Democrats pushed through their multi-trillion-dollar budget reconciliation package that will add to our crushing national debt. This reckless spending goes to fund even more reckless policies like amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants, a tax on American families heating their homes, and abortion on demand. This bill is a bad deal for Arizonans and Americans across our country and I was proud to join all of my Republican colleagues in voting no.”
Rep. Ruben Gallego voted in favor of the bill, saying it would bring much-needed relief to families.
“For the 139,000 Arizona children who will gain access to free, high-quality preschool, the Build Back Better Act is for them. For the over 400,000 renters in Arizona struggling to pay their lease each month, the Build Back Better Act is for them. For the Arizona family struggling to make ends meet, pay for child care, and put food on the table, the Build Back better Act is for them. And for my constituents, who are living through longer and hotter stretches of extreme heat with every passing year due to climate change, the Build Back Better Act is for them,” Gallego said in a press release.
“Working families have been forced to sit on the economic sidelines for years while our nation’s wealthiest reaped the benefits of tax cuts and loopholes. The Build Back Better Act is the solution to reversing this trend of top-down economics.
“I am extremely proud to have joined my colleagues in the House to pass the Build Back Better Act. This vote is a monumental step in delivering for families the much-needed relief President Biden and Democrats in Congress promised to bring. As the Build Back Better Act now heads to the Senate, I will do everything in my power to get this bill signed in to law,” Gallego concluded.
Congressman David Schweikert voted no on the bill, calling it “reckless.”
Schweikert stated on Twitter, “Our country is facing a fiscal crisis that could lead to a major financial downfall in the near future, and the Democrats’ multi-trillion dollar social spending bill puts us in the fast lane towards that tipping point. What the country needs right now are responsible budgetary policies and a focus on reining in federal spending, especially when Americans are suffering from record-high inflation. We cannot continue to throw trillions of taxpayers dollars down the drain. Contrary to what the White House has repeatedly said, this bill is not fully paid for and will add to the deficit. This morning I made that message clear and voted against Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi’s reckless social spending bill.”
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick voted in favor of the legislation and believes that the bill will have a positive impact on Arizona families.
“This morning’s Build Back Better vote is one of my proudest votes in Congress,” Rep. Kirkpatrick said in a press release. “This legislation will be transformative and impact real working families in Arizona. It is a bill that exemplifies our democratic values and puts people first. I am incredibly proud of our caucus and President Biden for honoring our promises to Americans.
“The Build Back Better Act meets the needs of Arizona families, now and for generations to come. From prescription drugs to childcare to family care, our bill lowers the kitchen table costs that are holding back working parents – while also delivering a major middle-class tax cut and historic action on the climate crisis. I proudly voted for this landmark legislation, which will make a lasting difference for Arizona families.”
Congressman Andy Biggs voted against the legislation, calling it “criminal.”
“What a sham. The American people sent us here to make their lives better, not to thicken the swamp with more bad actors and policies,” Biggs said in a press release. “Passing legislation like Biden’s Build Back Better Act is the very reason why Americans have lost faith in Congress. Pelosi and the Far Left continue to prove they are willing to sacrifice American prosperity for personal power gains. Bottom line, this bill is criminal, just like the people running our country. And the Far Left will reap what they have sown come 2022.”
Rep. Raul Grijalva voted in favor of the infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better bill stating that the bills work together to help Americans.
“My vote in favor of the packages is a vote of full faith in President Biden’s ability to deliver generational investments for working people, families and our children. The bipartisan infrastructure law will create good paying jobs for Arizonans, rebuild our nation’s failing infrastructure, replace dangerous lead water lines, invest in fast and reliable broadband and spur the American economy. On its own, however, the infrastructure package fails to fully address climate change, but coupled with the Build Back Better Act, we can begin the start of a longer effort to build a more sustainable America we know is possible,” Grijalva stated in a press release.
“Led by President Biden and Democrats in Congress, the Build Back Better Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Package will be transformative for nearly every Arizona family: delivering historic investments that meet their needs in the wake of the pandemic and will ensure that all can share in the benefits of a growing economy now, and for generations to come,” Grijalva concluded.
