The plan Rebuild Better of the president Joe Biden could become a gift from Christmas O New Year for millions of Latino families in USA, but for many others, those of undocumented immigrants, it may remain a simple mirage if the Senate rejects the immigration section.
According to the 2020 census, 62.1 million Hispanics live in the United States, twice as many as three decades ago, and for many of them Rebuild Better Build Back Better, a gigantic $ 1.8 trillion investment plan, is manna.
The plan, which includes educational, health, ecological, childcare reforms and also a section on immigration that can benefit millions of undocumented immigrants, was approved on Friday by the Lower House but its passage through the Senate – where it is expected to be put to a vote in December or January — it is announced complicated.
According to White House, the objective of Reconstruir Mejor is to create jobs, reduce costs, improve competitiveness and help the middle and working class, to which many Hispanics belong.
It is very important “for a Latino community that works very hard, but does not have a lot of income,” he said Monday. Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services of the government.
In addition to improving care for the needy or disabled, it offers two years of preschool education and ensures that no middle-class family pays more than 7% of their income for child care.
Seniors do well too: Medicare (the federal health insurance program) will provide some coverage for hearing aids and hearing services and may negotiate prices for some prescription drugs.
It will allow the granting of tax credits, so that millions of families will be able to hire health insurance policies “With premiums of $ 10 a month or less,” said Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants.
Congressman Raúl Ruiz, president of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (made up of members of the Democratic Party of Hispanic descent), stated Monday that “Hispanic families will benefit disproportionately because they have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.” Covid-19.
Rebuild Better also facilitates access to housing and strengthens the fight against climate change.
According to a survey of BSP Research, sponsored by the Climate Power organization, 87% of Latino Americans support the plan because they are concerned about climate change. Many of them are already suffering its consequences: “from working for hours in dangerous weather conditions to paying higher energy costs or living in areas more prone to weather disasters,” he lists. Climate Power.
Senate Transit
But the Senate could amend the bill and return it to the House of Representatives.
In an equally divided upper house, both the 50 Republicans and two centrist senators – among the 50 Democrats – are reluctant to accept the text 100%, for fear that the debt will skyrocket in a context of rising inflation.
But according to Pili Tobar, the White House deputy communications director, the plan would be funded simply by “asking Americans and the largest corporations to pay their fair share” in federal taxes.
In a normal bill, an unattainable 60 votes out of 100 would be needed to pass, so Biden resorted to the so-called budget reconciliation process, with 51 enough.
Then, the president needs to convince the two centrists and add the tiebreaker vote of the vice president Kamala Harris to be 51.
There is consensus on most of the plan’s measures, but the immigration section, which is Biden’s workhorse, could be left out of Build Back Better.
Citizenship, a way of the cross
Eleanor Roosevelt used to say: “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” During the presidential campaign, Biden, a self-confessed reformist, promised citizenship for 11 million undocumented people.
He already tried twice to clear his way to keep his word and both stumbled upon Elizabeth MacDonough, in charge of interpreting the Senate regulations and who considers that this issue has no place in Build Back Better. And he could object again, because upper house rules limit what can be included in the budget law.
In his third attempt, Biden, however, lowered his claims and no longer talks about citizenship.
If the Senate agreed to include the section, some seven million undocumented immigrants could apply for work permits, travel abroad and obtain driver’s licenses. In addition, they would be protected against deportation for a period of up to ten years.
Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez headed a letter in which more than 80 members of the House asked the Senate not to squander “this once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx