This week, Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D) gave an impassioned plea on the House floor regarding the Build Back Better Act. While expressing her support for the bill and a number of its measures, Murphy took to Twitter to express that she cannot move forward with a vote because she has not received “the full text of the Ways & Means portion of the bill.” As a result, since she has not received all the information necessary for a vote, Murphy “cannot make an informed, substantive decision.”
Without the full text of the Ways & Means portion of the bill, I simply cannot make an informed, substantive decision. I’m also frustrated it hasn’t been pre-conferenced w/the Senate. But I’ll keep working to get this bill to a place where I can support it and it can become law.
— U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (@RepStephMurphy) September 9, 2021
On the House floor, Murphy once again shared her support of the Build Back Better Act, emphasizing that she deeply cares “- personally and professionally – about a number of the legislative proposals we’ve crafted, like paid family and medical leave, access to child care, retirement security, and health profession opportunity grants.” Moreover, Murphy noted that “in order to help working families, Democrats must advance these and other proposals through the reconciliation process because of Republican obstruction.”
Speaking on the information she has received regarding the bill, Murphy explained that “to date, I have only received the text of Subtitle A through Subtitle E,” adding that “as far as I’m aware, our committee has not received official CBO scores of these subtitles, with the exception of Subtitle Bi, which involves in retirement policy.”
“Even more concerning, we have not received the remaining subtitles or the scores associated with them,” informed Murphy, noting that they “haven’t seen the subtitle on prescription drug policy, or the subtitle that will strengthen tax incentives to promote clean energy and combat climate crisis.”
On social media, Murphy provided more thoughts on how the lack of information would affect her vote.
“My constituents expect me to consider bills in a thorough & transparent way,” Murphy said. Because of the documents that are still missing to be reviewed, Murphy commented that while she does “support many provisions in the Build Back Better Act, it’s being rushed through my committee before we know exactly what’s in it, what it’s going to cost, & how we’re going to pay for it.”
My constituents expect me to consider bills in a thorough & transparent way. While I support many provisions in the Build Back Better Act, it's being rushed through my committee before we know exactly what's in it, what it's going to cost, & how we're going to pay for it.
— U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (@RepStephMurphy) September 9, 2021
