What a year!

We have made tremendous progress this year -- for working families, for children, and for our environment. Last year, the coronavirus pandemic upended our lives, and while we have all had to adapt to a new normal, the fight for our communities has remained the same.

I began the year fighting for an issue I have long championed -- the expansion of the Child Tax Credit. On March 11th, the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law, putting billions directly into the hands of those who needed it most through stimulus checks and my Child Tax Credit expansion. We gave eligible families up to $3,600 per child, which is lifting over 3 million children out of poverty.

The culmination of years of hard work, the expanded Child Tax Credit payments started going out to millions of families across the country on July 15th. These monthly payments made tangible differences for families in our community, especially low-income families, helping to pay bills and purchase food and other necessities. We must continue these payments beyond this year.

In November, I stood with my fellow House members in passing the Build Back Better Act to support working families by extending the Child Tax Credit, expanding childcare, universal pre-k, and healthcare tax credits, lowering prescription drug costs, and providing paid family leave for the first time ever in the United States. That’s why it is crucial for the Senate to act to uplift working families and their communities.

In the last month, we also fought to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation. This legislation will provide sustainable transportation options for millions of Americans, a chance to repair and rebuild our roads and bridges with a climate conscious focus, clean drinking water for all, and access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet to communities across the country.

While these are important accomplishments, this year we have also seen unprecedented attacks on reproductive rights, threatening to overturn Roe v. Wade. From Texas to Mississippi, we must now fight harder than ever to protect those rights -- so all women can safely and legally make their own healthcare decisions without government intervention.

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, concerning a Mississippi law that bans safe abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, presented its arguments in front of the Supreme Court earlier this month. While we do not expect a decision until late June 2022, we know its outcome could have serious consequences for those wishing to exercise their rights, for health care and for our communities.

Our fight is far from over, and I thank you for being here to stand together for what we believe in. I am as committed as ever to fighting for you and your family, John. I will not give up on that fight -- or on you.

Our work continues. I look forward to standing with you in 2022.

-- Suzan DelBene

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