President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better” social spending act that Progressive House Democrats have been championing has passed by a vote count of 220-213, with one Democrat voting against it.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi split up the social spending measure from the infrastructure bill in order to get legislation passed.
Florida’s entire Democratic Caucus—Reps. Al Lawson, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Ted Deutch, Lois Frankel, Kathy Castor, Darren Soto, Val Demings, Stephanie Murphy, Frederica Wilson, and Charlie Crist—voting in favor of President Biden’s social spending measure.
Rep. Murphy, who is seen as a ‘moderate’ House Democrat, signaled that she would be supporting the Build Back Better Act “after receiving information from the Congressional Budget Office, the Joint Committee on Taxation, and the Treasury Department that shows the bill is fiscally disciplined.”
In her statement, Rep. Murphy (pictured) acknowledged the bill's “flaws” but focused on the items that she believes will help Floridians. Murphy does not mention the controversial tax hikes and “equity” and “fairness” social justice measures.
“While I continue to have reservations about the overall size of the legislation—and concerns about certain policy provisions that are extraneous or unwise—I believe there are too many badly-needed investments in this bill not to advance it in the legislative process. I will work with my Senate colleagues to improve this bill, and I hope to vote on—and enact—a more streamlined version of the bill once it returns from the Senate.
“There is a lot of good in this bill, and as a pragmatic Democrat who wants to deliver for my constituents, I am never one to let the perfect become the enemy of the good,” stated Rep. Murphy
Florida Rep. Kat Cammack (R)took to the floor moments after the final vote, announcing her "Hell No!" vote for the bill.
In a statement, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R) stated that Speaker Pelosi and Progressive members of the House voted for a "complete socialist makeover of our economic model."
"Since taking control of the House in 2019, Speaker Pelosi and her progressive squad have had one goal in mind for the future of our country – a complete socialist makeover of our economic model. In less than a year, Democratic Leadership has managed to create a severe economic and supply-chain crisis, in addition to reaching the highest inflation rate in three decades. Bad policies speak for themselves, and these crises are an indisputable consequence of the Radical Left's actions, fueled by their reckless spending. If signed into law, I fear this bill will have long-term, irreversible effects on our nation’s economy. Apart from killing jobs, limiting American ingenuity, and empowering totalitarian regimes in China and Russia by incentivizing American businesses to move overseas, this proposal will be paid for by the largest individual tax hike in our nation’s history. The American people should not bear the burden of the Democratic Leadership's socialist and irresponsible agenda," stated Rep. Diaz-Balart.
National Republicans were waiting patiently to drop the hammer on Democrats as soon as the vote came down.
In Florida, Republican National Committee (RNC) Spokeswoman Julia Friedland called out (4) vulnerable House Democrats, stating, “Darren Soto, Val Demings, Stephanie Murphy, and Charlie Crist just went all in for Biden’s socialist agenda: “Build Back Broke” at a time when Florida families are already being hit with skyrocketing inflation, record-high gas prices, and an unmitigated border crisis."
Friedland added that the support for the bill was a "brazen assault on middle-class families" that "will cost these vulnerable Florida Democrats their jobs in 2022.”
