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babylonsister

(171,048 posts)
Sat Oct 9, 2021, 03:26 PM Oct 2021

What's In Biden's Reconciliation Bill, In Sixty Seconds

https://crooksandliars.com/2021/10/mehdi-hasan-build-back-better-plan

10/08/21 10:49am
What's In Biden's Reconciliation Bill, In Sixty Seconds
Mehdi Hasan flamed the media for failing miserably at doing its job: informing its audience, specifically with regard to anything about President Joe Biden's reconciliation bill, other than its price tag.
By Aliza Worthington


Mehdi Hasan flamed the media for failing miserably at doing its job: informing its audience, specifically with regard to anything about Pres. Joe Biden's reconciliation bill, other than its price tag.

"All we hear on the news is '3.5. 3.5. 3.5 trillion.' Not that Joe Biden's Build Back Better Budget Reconciliation Bill is money spent over ten years, nor do we hear much about what's IN the 3.5-trillion-dollar bill. We in the media have done a bad job of actually telling people what that money pays for. So let me have a try. Give me sixty seconds. Start the clock," he instructed, as a big timer appeared behind him.

He took a deep breath, and then...

"The Build Back Better Budget Reconciliation Bill

has an extended child tax credit to cut child poverty by nearly half.

Universal Pre-K for three- and four-year-olds.

Free school meals for an extra nine million kids.

New money to repair run-down schools.

Two free years of community college.

Twelve weeks of paid family and medical leave for the first time in American history.

New powers for Medicare to negotiate drug prices, which will bring down the costs of your prescriptions, which is a good thing, given that we often spend twice as much as people in other countries.

Expanding Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing aids, helping millions of seniors.

Lowering the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60, again, helping millions of seniors.

Expanding home care, and paying higher wages for home care workers, again, helping millions of seniors.

Closing the Medicaid gap for low-income Americans and getting healthcare to four million uninsured people.

New money for housing choice vouchers to tackle homelessness.

New Justice Department grants for non-profits that work on reducing community violence.

And, of course, action on climate change, including a clean electricity performance program that will create nearly eight million new jobs and financial incentives to buy electric vehicles, to build charging stations for them, and for homeowners to weather-fit their homes, plus new forestry programs, flood control programs.

So stop focusing on the 3.5 trillion, and focus on the popular, necessary, and good stuff that is being invested in over — yeah! — ten years."


I didn't know whether to give him a standing ovation or an oxygen mask after that, but I can certainly give him props for doing what hardly any other outlet or politician is doing: focusing on the truly transformative changes this bill would have on tens of millions of people who are struggling with everything from housing to health care to schooling. And if you care about, you know, EXISTING HERE ON EARTH, it even helps encourage healthy ecological behavior.

But we're not hearing that information being hammered home in news segments, or interviews with politicians. We're mostly only hearing about the price tag, and whether or not some group or other is willing to go up or down in spending. You know who's not doing that? President Biden. He's the only one I hear consistently asking both the media and Congress to focus on what they want IN the bill, not what they want to spend ON the bill.

Now, thanks to Hasan, everyone has this handy guide to use if they're in a big hurry. All it takes is sixty seconds.

25 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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What's In Biden's Reconciliation Bill, In Sixty Seconds (Original Post) babylonsister Oct 2021 OP
Message auto-removed Name removed Oct 2021 #1
babylonsister is not a "bro" BumRushDaShow Oct 2021 #2
I almost replied to the OP with, "Man, that is a lot of good info." Beartracks Oct 2021 #4
MIRTing BumRushDaShow Oct 2021 #5
Sorry, language humor is like a job hazard with me. Beartracks Oct 2021 #8
I hear ya!! BumRushDaShow Oct 2021 #10
that poster is a spammer, not legit Celerity Oct 2021 #9
I know BumRushDaShow Oct 2021 #11
cheers! Celerity Oct 2021 #12
He's FFR'd BumRushDaShow Oct 2021 #13
they were bright but not shining Celerity Oct 2021 #14
Wasn't even bright BumRushDaShow Oct 2021 #15
it's a Bajan saying for an idiot Celerity Oct 2021 #16
Yeah I get what you mean BumRushDaShow Oct 2021 #19
Thanks, b'sis! elleng Oct 2021 #3
That is a lot of good info. Beartracks Oct 2021 #6
+1 -K&R onetexan Oct 2021 #18
Put it in my Favorites so I True Blue American Oct 2021 #23
And obvious gap in increased aid and services for the retired... WarGamer Oct 2021 #7
Is lowering the age of medicare still in there? questionseverything Oct 2021 #17
Love his show ffr Oct 2021 #20
K&R Duppers Oct 2021 #21
What gets taken out when we're forced to drop the beaglelover Oct 2021 #22
I don't know. babylonsister Oct 2021 #25
A very handy reference on BBB. niyad Oct 2021 #24

Response to babylonsister (Original post)

Beartracks

(12,806 posts)
4. I almost replied to the OP with, "Man, that is a lot of good info."
Sat Oct 9, 2021, 03:52 PM
Oct 2021

But then I guess you might've opted to inform me that babylonsister is not a 'man.' So I'm glad I didn't do that.



=========

Beartracks

(12,806 posts)
6. That is a lot of good info.
Sat Oct 9, 2021, 03:54 PM
Oct 2021

I've been looking for a summary like this to share with my Fox-watching relatives.

Thsnks!

WarGamer

(12,423 posts)
7. And obvious gap in increased aid and services for the retired...
Sat Oct 9, 2021, 03:56 PM
Oct 2021

They need to reset the minimum SS benefit to start... mandatory inflation PLUS 1% annual increases with expanded aid for housing and food costs.

babylonsister

(171,048 posts)
25. I don't know.
Sun Oct 10, 2021, 10:43 PM
Oct 2021

They may still be negotiating that. I'm in favor of whatever it takes to get this done. Tweaks can happen down the road.

I always remind myself of Obamacare.

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