In reaction to Senator Manchin’s announcement that he will not vote for the Build Back Better Act, Abby Maxman, CEO and President of Oxfam America issued the following statement:
"By failing to support the Build Back Better Act and likely dooming the bill from passing, Senator Manchin is failing his constituents in West Virginia, and he is failing the American people.
Opponents to this historic piece of legislation, including Senator Manchin, are failing our children, as they refuse to invest in childcare and early childhood education.
They are failing women, too many of whom are forced to stay home because of astronomical child care costs and lack of paid leave.
They are failing workers who deserve adequate compensation and benefits, as well as safety on the jobs and dignity in the workplace.
They are failing our future, as we watch the fires burn and the floods rise but continue to subsidize fossil fuel companies and refuse to invest in clean energy.
While opponents, including Senator Manchin, claim that the price tag of $1.9 trillion over ten years is too large, it pales in comparison to what this bill could buy, and what it would mean for our future. Increased taxes on the wealthiest and largest corporations proposed in the plan will fund all of these investments.
Without this kind of historic and visionary investment, we are headed for dark days ahead: deepening inequality, especially along race and gender lines; more severe and frequent climate disasters; economic setbacks as more women drop out of the workforce.
Let us be clear: We can afford Build Back Better. The US is the wealthiest country in the history of the world. This bill is a fraction of our GDP but represents hope for better days ahead. And it’s also what the American people want. Three quarters of voters support the plan; two-thirds of Americans support higher taxes on corporations to pay for it.
As the United States becomes ever more unequal by the day, we are also home to egregiously wealthy individuals and profitable multinational corporations that hold enormous amounts of wealth and capital. It is well past time for them to pay for the things that make our economy run and make our country great: women who can equally participate in the workforce, families that have enough to eat, workers who are healthy and productive, a climate that is not roiling.
Not investing now will cost us dearly in the long run, and even tomorrow.
Senator Manchin and those who oppose Build Back Better are squandering our best chance in decades to address the problems we face and to restore the dream of a better future for our children."
/ENDS