WASHINGTON, DC (August 8, 2022) – Today, Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, made the following statement after Senate Democrats passed a spending bill over the weekend that addresses climate change, high cost of prescription drugs and lower the deficit by $300 billion: 

“This weekend, the Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act delivered a big win for our environment and working-class Americans. This historic legislation will lower the cost of prescription drugs, make investments in American manufacturing, creating countless more jobs to build the next generation of clean power plants, cars, and buildings, and make key investments in climate and energy. The bill will also ensure corporations begin to pay their fair share in taxes. 

“We thank President Biden, Majority Leader Schumer, and the Senate majority for their efforts to deliver this bill at a time when Americans are dealing with the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, rising cost of living, and climate change. Moreover, as a former Mayor of New Orleans, I understand fully the devastating impact of climate change and the need to invest in a more sustainable future. This bill represents one of the largest investments in protecting our environment.

“While there is a lot to celebrate, we are disappointed the bill did not contain all elements of the President’s Build Back Better Agenda. Last week, the National Urban League joined other civil rights organizations in sending a letter to Senate leadership asking them to include coverage for the 2.2 million Americans who fall into the Medicaid coverage gap. Though Senator Warnock’s amendment, which would have closed the gap, did not make it into the final bill, we know the fight continues to ensure these members of our community are not left behind, especially in non-Medicaid expansion states in the South, where people of color are disproportionately impacted.   

“We look forward to working with the Administration on this and other aspects of Build Back Better, beginning with the Inflation Reduction Act once it becomes law to ensure its implementation is equitable and meets the needs of communities across the nation.

 

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Washington Bureau, National Urban League

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The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 90 local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually nationwide. Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague. 

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