Rep. Panetta Fights for Clean Energy, Affordable Healthcare, and Tax Cuts for Working Families as House Ways and Means Committee Passes Build Back Better Provisions
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) voted to advance the House Ways and Means Committee contributions to the Build Back Better Act, which included provisions from several of the bills he authored in the 117th Congress. Rep. Panetta's was able to secure legislation in the markup on protecting family farms and providing tax credits for linear generators, microgrids, green buses, and e-bikes. The overall package that Rep. Panetta voted for also included provisions that will increase affordable housing, expand broadband, create disaster resiliency tax credits, and lower prescription drug costs.
"It's past time that we invest in both the human and physical infrastructure of our economy and set ourselves up for success in the 21st century," said Congressman Panetta. "The provisions we passed over the last four days will combat the climate crisis, expand healthcare coverage, strengthen retirement security, and invest in our workers. The Build Back Better Act will create jobs, support American families and workers, and revitalize our economy."
This package of bills passed today by the Committee:
- Provide tax credits for clean energy innovation and deployment
- Protect family farms
- Expand broadband
- Increase affordable housing tax credits
- Create more affordable healthcare
- Encourage disaster resiliency
- Expand tax cuts for working families
- Lower prescription drug prices
- Extend the child tax credit to immigrant families
The package includes legislation introduced by Rep. Panetta and Congressional Bike Caucus Chairman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) to encourage the use of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, through a consumer tax credit. By incentivizing the use of electric bicycles to replace car trips through a consumer tax credit, we can not only encourage more Americans to transition to greener modes of transportation, but also help fight the climate crisis.
The package also includes provisions of legislation to support linear generators that Rep. Panetta introduced with Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA-18), Jackie Speier (D-CA-14), Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-02), and Jackie Walorski (R-IN-02). Highly efficient and clean burning linear generators can help us reduce our emissions and fight climate change. This legislation would ensure tax parity for linear generators and incentivize the development and deployment of this type of innovative technology.
The package also includes provisions of legislation Rep. Jimmy Panetta introduced to incentivize the expansion and deployment of microgrids, which provide backup power, independent from the larger energy grid, during emergencies. As extreme weather events, such as wildfires, become increasingly common, microgrids can mitigate the impacts of grid outages and public safety power shutoffs on communities using cleaner energy sources.
The package also includes provisions of legislation Rep. Jimmy Panetta introduced that would grant bus manufacturers a tax credit for battery electric or hydrogen fuel-cell buses. As cities and counties across the Central Coast work to transition their buses to greener models, we've seen them slowed by budgetary constraints. This legislation will provide the appropriate tax credits for them to get over the budgetary hurdles and encourage the development and deployment of zero-emission buses.
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