Charleston, WV - The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy released the following statement in response to the US Senate’s vote to advance a budget resolution paving the way to craft and enact a slate of investments known as the “Build Back Better” plan. US Senator Joe Manchin voted in favor of the resolution, while Senator Shelley Moore Capito voted against.
“This budget resolution is a critical step toward passing the transformational policies our country and our state need to create a stronger, fairer economy, advance racial equity, and ensure all our people have an opportunity to thrive. We applaud Senator Manchin for moving this important package forward,” said Kelly Allen, executive director.
“Long before the pandemic began, West Virginia families had been held back by racial and economic inequality and a lack of basic family and worker supports. West Virginia has long had one of the highest poverty rates in the nation, with one in six adults and one in five children experiencing poverty, along with a lack of good-paying jobs and investments in families. At the same time, in 2020, 55 of America’s largest corporations paid nothing in federal income taxes, and the nation's top billionaires saw their fortunes grow by leaps and bounds, even as millions of Americans experienced hardship during the pandemic.
“This budget resolution creates a path toward a better future, decreasing costs for families on essentials like housing, food, child care, health care, and education; helping workers get the assistance they need to make ends meet and get ahead; and creating millions of good-paying jobs. These are just the supports needed to ensure that West Virginia’s families can thrive and our economy can work for everyone.”
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Budget summary materials suggest that the plan will also tackle our lopsided tax code to pay for the investments necessary to create that better future – specifically by asking corporations and households with incomes over $400,000 to pay their fair share in taxes. We applaud the Senate for recognizing tax fairness as a critical element to building a more equitable society.
“We look forward to working with Senator Manchin and the rest of the West Virginia federal delegation in the coming weeks to support the investments our communities need, and we urge them to deliver on the important priorities laid out in this budget resolution.”
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