Malliotakis vows fight against ‘Build Back Better’ legislation despite it passing the House

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) said Friday that she’d continue to fight against Democrats’ “Build Back Better” legislation despite it passing her chamber of Congress.

The legislation, valued at approximately $1.75 trillion, faces a more challenging path in the Senate where conservative Democratic Senator Krysten Sinema (D-Arizona) and Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) have expressed trepidations about some of its parts.

“While the fight against President Biden’s socialist agenda took an expected setback today with Democrats jamming his spending plan through without considering the real impact of the cost, I’m confident we will be successful in working with our Senate partners to stop this dead on arrival bill from becoming law,” Malliotakis said.

“With a potential government shutdown looming, I urge my colleagues to take the time necessary to develop a budget that respects taxpayers, preserves our freedoms, and puts our hardworking citizens first.”

SUPPORTERS SEE BENEFITS

Supporter of the legislation, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, laid out what they see as the benefits of the funding found in it.

Those benefits include $400 billion in childcare funding that would allow states to launch pre-kindergarten programs similar to those launched by Mayor Bill de Blasio in the five boroughs, according to a media release from Hochul’s office.

Additionally, the legislation raises the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction from $10,000 to $80,000, provides $550 billion to address climate change, and $150 billion in affordable housing.

“President Biden put forward an ambitious economic agenda for New York working families and individuals, and the House advanced these historic investments in our economy, education, child care health care and our fight against climate change through the Build Back Better Act,” Hochul said.

Malliotakis was one of 13 Republicans who voted in favor of the the bill that President Biden signed Monday that funded traditional infrastructure, like roads and waterways.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the “Build Back Better” legislation would add $367 billion to the deficit, but their estimate doesn’t consider increased tax revenue brought in through more investment in the IRS.

For the freshman congresswoman, parts of the bill would discourage people seeking work, incentivize illegal immigration and hurt business owners.

“The American people have made it clear that they don’t want more government control, expansion of the IRS, vaccine mandates, higher taxes, amnesty, or benefits going to those in the country illegally,” she said.

“Congress should not be rushing legislation that has dire consequences for our nation and its future generations.”