Rep. Jamaal Bowman Statement on Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework Vote

 

This came in from Congressman Bowman's office.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman issued the following statement regarding his no vote on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework 

 

“Our country is experiencing multiple and layered crises on top of historical harm. Transformative investment and courageous action is needed to meet this moment, and we have the power to do it.  Roads and bridges are important. We must absolutely invest in our physical infrastructure. It is a positive development to see the infrastructure bill pass, but it is also not lost upon me that 90% of jobs in physical infrastructure go to men; yet, women account for four times the job loss to men during the pandemic. Families and children are in need of help with childcare, paid leave, housing, prescription drug costs and so much more. The climate crisis remains looming. The physical infrastructure bill alone does not hold the policies to address any of these issues.

 

“This is why my progressive colleagues and I were consistently clear for months that we intend to move both the Build Back Better Act and the physical infrastructure bill together and vote for them at the same time. This was the agreement we understood and the promise I shared. However, my conservative colleagues moved the goalpost and asked for budget scoring despite the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) verifying that the Build Back Better Act is fully paid for and the White House providing their own budget estimates confirming JCT’s report. We were asked to vote only on physical infrastructure at the last hour and to delay the needs and ignore the suffering of our constituents with the weakest assurance that the original agreement would be kept. The agreement was broken. Therefore, I voted no on a physical infrastructure bill that came without the Build Back Better Act. 

 

“We can only build back better by ensuring the health and prosperity of seniors, women, children, immigrants and our planet. We need policies that bring America into the present day, with other developed countries, so that we can end our reliance on fossil fuels, provide paid leave to all, and eradicate child poverty. We can and need to meet this moment. And the country needs a government that keeps its word to women, families, children and immigrants. 

 

“I support the president's full agenda, which includes passing both the infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better Act together, and I look forward to continuing to work with the administration to see to it that we build back better for all. Our work is not done.”