[1]Bowman for Congress

Peace and love,
John, Jamaal Bowman here.

There's recently been a lot of talk around "means testing" with the
reconciliation bill. So, I wanted to reach out and share more about what
that means, and why I don't support it.



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Means tested benefits (like SNAP, for example) are income-based. That
means if you make over a certain amount, or if you don't meet specific
criteria, you won't receive benefits. But studies have shown that setting
these boundaries can place a social stigma and bureaucratic requirements
to qualify on the people who often need it the most.

Means testing is also bad policy, because it's nearly impossible to come
up with a perfect set of criteria for who is in need of support — and
means tested benefits end up less impactful than universal ones.

Here's a recent example:

A few days ago, Senator Joe Manchin stated that he wouldn't support the
child tax credit — which is a part of the Build Back Better Act — unless
there was a $60,000 household income limit and a work requirement.

But a household income of $60,000 in my district in New York, where the
cost of living is higher than many other places, looks very different in
practice than $60,000 elsewhere in our country.

John, I can
guarantee that if Senator Manchin had his way with this requirement, many
families in my district will be left behind.

We need to fight back against "what-ifs" or demands that we "negotiate" on
cut backs for the Build Back Better Act. Because the Build Back Better Act
means more jobs. It means health care, our climate, and taking care of our
kids and seniors.

I'm fully aware that as lawmakers, it's not just our job to make sure that
it passes in full. It's also our job to ensure that these investments
benefit everyone. Means testing would get in the way of accomplishing what
we are setting out to do. It's bad policy, and it's bad politics.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and I'm urging my colleagues
in Congress to do the right thing and act.

— Jamaal


 


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