Current State of Play: Build Back Better Act

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Libbie Chapuran

Senate Majority Leader Schumer has committed to a procedural vote on the Senate Build Back Better Act, which is still being drafted. On Dec. 20, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) acknowledged the deep discontent and frustration in a Dear Colleague letter by the decision to delay floor consideration of the Build Back Better Act because Senator Manchin could not agree with President Biden.

The letter made every Senator aware of a procedural vote early in the new year, so they have the opportunity to make their position known on the Senate Floor. They are going to vote on a revised version of the House-passed bill. The vote will likely fail since they would need 51 votes; it's unlikely they will get Sen. Manchin's support at this point. Schumer’s letter also states they "will keep voting on it until we get something done."

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act (BBB) on Nov. 19. While the BBB includes several benefits to support long-term care, such as the expansion of home and community-based services, increased workforce funding, and investments in affordable housing, there is a concerning component of the bill related to staffing that will negatively impact the delivery of care. The bill requires nursing homes to have a registered nurse on staff 24 hours a day.

Contact Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith here and let them know that to care best for Minnesota seniors, we need them to remove this mandate before the Senate passes the BBB.