ICYMI: New Dem Chair DelBene Discusses the Path Forward for Build Back Better and the Child Tax Credit on The Last Word
New Dem Chair DelBene: “As the Chair of the New Dems, most of us represent purple districts across the country and folks on both sides of the aisle want governance to work...We made it happen with the infrastructure bill, we can show them it can happen with Build Back Better.”
KIRKLAND, WA — Yesterday, New Democrat Coalition Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01) appeared on The Last Word with Jonathan Capehart to discuss the path forward for the Build Back Better Act.
You can watch the interview here and read a transcript of the interview below:
Jonathan Capehart: Joining us now, Democratic Congresswoman Suzan DelBene of Washington state. She is the Chair of the New Democrat Coalition. Congresswoman DelBene great to see you, thanks for coming. Are you open to the idea of President Biden using executive action to pass parts of the Build Back Better Act?
Suzan DelBene: Well I think we have to be clear that we need long term, durable policy and executive action can be helpful, but it does not provide durable policy, that’s Congress's role. So, I think Congress needs to act, and especially as we look at things like the Child Tax Credit, the only way we’re going to extend that is through passing legislation. We are a coequal branch of government; we have to do our part.
Jonathan Capehart: So then, what is the best way forward for legislation?
Suzan DelBene: Well, we're going to continue those discussions to look at how we bring policy together. Sometimes policy goes through rough patches along the way to finally getting it passed and part of it is having a discussion about the impact we're seeing, and the Child Tax Credit is a great example. We have seen incredible impact, just in the last six months. The first checks went out in July. We have as of November 3.8 million children who have been lifted out of poverty across our country, families being able to put food on the table, pay bills, buy essentials for their kids like diapers or clothing. This has been an incredible tax break for middle class families, and we need to keep it going. The data is very, very strong. This creates huge opportunities for our kids long into the future and the way to make a difference is by keeping it going, we need to keep it going.
Jonathan Capehart: So, Congresswoman DelBene, as the Chair of the moderate New Democrat Coalition, I'm wondering, have you spoken to Senator Manchin about a possible way forward?
Suzan DelBene: I have not spoken to him about a way forward right now. I think when we go back in January, those conversations will continue because we have to talk about the data, what we've seen, but how important it is we make a difference for families. People want to see governance work and they want to see us get things done. As the Chair of the?NewDems, most of us represent purple districts across the country and folks on both sides of the aisle want governance to work. That’s the opportunity we have between the House and Senate to show them. We made it happen with the infrastructure bill, we can show them it can happen with Build Back Better, but there is more work we have to do to get there. And again, it is important we have long term, durable policy that families can count on.
Jonathan Capehart: How imperative, leave aside what could possibly be in the final Build Back Better Act, but how imperative is it that a Build Back Better Act gets passed out of the Senate, passed out of the House again, and on the President's desk for his signature, so that you and your colleagues can go out and campaign on it. If that doesn't happen, would it be a disaster for Democrats going into 2022
Suzan DelBene: Well, good policy is good politics. The way folks make decisions at election time is to understand what their member of Congress was able to do for them. And one of the biggest things we can do is make sure we are making investments in our communities, in our families, and workers. That is part of what this legislation would do. We did it with the infrastructure bill and need to do it with Build Back Better as well.
Jonathan Capehart: Congresswoman Suzan DelBene of Washington, thank you for being with us tonight.
KIRKLAND, WA — Yesterday, New Democrat Coalition Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01) appeared on The Last Word with Jonathan Capehart to discuss the path forward for the Build Back Better Act.
You can watch the interview here and read a transcript of the interview below:
Jonathan Capehart: Joining us now, Democratic Congresswoman Suzan DelBene of Washington state. She is the Chair of the New Democrat Coalition. Congresswoman DelBene great to see you, thanks for coming. Are you open to the idea of President Biden using executive action to pass parts of the Build Back Better Act?
Suzan DelBene: Well I think we have to be clear that we need long term, durable policy and executive action can be helpful, but it does not provide durable policy, that’s Congress's role. So, I think Congress needs to act, and especially as we look at things like the Child Tax Credit, the only way we’re going to extend that is through passing legislation. We are a coequal branch of government; we have to do our part.
Jonathan Capehart: So then, what is the best way forward for legislation?
Suzan DelBene: Well, we're going to continue those discussions to look at how we bring policy together. Sometimes policy goes through rough patches along the way to finally getting it passed and part of it is having a discussion about the impact we're seeing, and the Child Tax Credit is a great example. We have seen incredible impact, just in the last six months. The first checks went out in July. We have as of November 3.8 million children who have been lifted out of poverty across our country, families being able to put food on the table, pay bills, buy essentials for their kids like diapers or clothing. This has been an incredible tax break for middle class families, and we need to keep it going. The data is very, very strong. This creates huge opportunities for our kids long into the future and the way to make a difference is by keeping it going, we need to keep it going.
Jonathan Capehart: So, Congresswoman DelBene, as the Chair of the moderate New Democrat Coalition, I'm wondering, have you spoken to Senator Manchin about a possible way forward?
Suzan DelBene: I have not spoken to him about a way forward right now. I think when we go back in January, those conversations will continue because we have to talk about the data, what we've seen, but how important it is we make a difference for families. People want to see governance work and they want to see us get things done. As the Chair of the?NewDems, most of us represent purple districts across the country and folks on both sides of the aisle want governance to work. That’s the opportunity we have between the House and Senate to show them. We made it happen with the infrastructure bill, we can show them it can happen with Build Back Better, but there is more work we have to do to get there. And again, it is important we have long term, durable policy that families can count on.
Jonathan Capehart: How imperative, leave aside what could possibly be in the final Build Back Better Act, but how imperative is it that a Build Back Better Act gets passed out of the Senate, passed out of the House again, and on the President's desk for his signature, so that you and your colleagues can go out and campaign on it. If that doesn't happen, would it be a disaster for Democrats going into 2022
Suzan DelBene: Well, good policy is good politics. The way folks make decisions at election time is to understand what their member of Congress was able to do for them. And one of the biggest things we can do is make sure we are making investments in our communities, in our families, and workers. That is part of what this legislation would do. We did it with the infrastructure bill and need to do it with Build Back Better as well.
Jonathan Capehart: Congresswoman Suzan DelBene of Washington, thank you for being with us tonight.
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