John,
I wanted to share some thoughts with you after a pretty big morning, when we passed the President’s Build Back Better plan in the House just moments ago.
A little less than a year ago, we were still deep in the tumult of Donald Trump’s final months in office. It was pure chaos. A new abuse every day, all leading up to one of the worst days in our democracy’s history.
We were more divided than ever, with Republicans in the thrall of Trump’s cult of personality.
But let’s take a step back. Because what’s happened is monumental.
Imagine if on this day last year, I told you that we would be able to cut child poverty in half and provide well over $1 trillion in relief for working families, hundreds of millions of vaccines, and help for workers. All in only President Biden’s first year in office.
That would be pretty great, you’d probably reply.
What if I told you that we decided to put together one of the biggest investments in the American people since the New Deal? A new, New Deal, if you will.
Universal preschool for all 3 and 4 year olds. Capping child care costs for all families. Expanding Medicare. The biggest investment to fight climate change ever — $550 billion in clean energy and green jobs. Major funding for workers just struggling to get by. Taxing billionaires and corporations to pay for it.
Wow. Just wow. That’s incredible, you’d think.
Now, what if we didn’t stop here. What if I also told you that we would somehow bridge the partisan divide and come together to agree to a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill?
Holy cow, you’d exclaim! And you’d be right.
That’s what we’ve done. That’s what Democrats have accomplished. And that’s what you helped make happen thanks to your work, your calls, your donations, and your persistence.
You. You did all of this. And it’s a BIG F-ING DEAL, as Joe Biden would say.
Often in politics, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. You focus on what didn’t get done, or make it into the bill, instead of what did. And what was accomplished.
When we passed the Affordable Care Act, some focused on what didn’t make it into the bill as opposed to what we did — giving tens of millions health care. We can’t afford to make that same mistake this time.
Because this bill is huge. And will make a huge difference for millions of Americans.
That’s what I came to Congress to do. To help people. To help our neighbors live a better, more dignified life. To help our planet. To help families. To help.
And for the first time in a long time, we’re accomplishing just that. We need to get out that message, and we need to do it now.
Democrats in the House want to help people and we have. And Republicans tried to block it all.
Now, we still need to get this Build Back Better bill through the Senate and to the President’s desk. A bill to expand universal preschool, help parents afford child care, fight climate change, and expand health care and paid family leave.
We must fight to ensure the Senate doesn’t water down these provisions, particularly the significant progress we made on prescription drug pricing and paid family leave. Because we need to get this done, and we need it to be right.
I’m going to fight with everything I’ve got. Because I came to Washington, DC to help people, not to tread water.
We can enact real change. And we will. We already have. Because of you.
— Adam
P.S. If you’re as ready as I am to defend these monumental legislative achievements and ensure that voters know that Democrats are trying to help people, please consider pitching in a donation today:
