Washington, D.C. — Today, the Senate voted to pass an omnibus budget bill for fiscal year 2023. Following the vote, Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
The passage of the 2023 omnibus bill marks the end of a historically productive Congress. Thanks to the tenacity of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), this Congress has passed the most impactful suite of economic legislation since the New Deal; the most significant gun violence prevention legislation in a generation; and for the first time, codified the right to same-sex and interracial marriage. This progress came in spite of entrenched political polarization and holding the slimmest of majorities.
Their leadership was on display again this week as they crafted a 2023 budget package that invests in workers, families, and jobs, and delivers on President Joe Biden’s campaign message to build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out. The omnibus contains a record $800 billion in domestic investments, a 30 percent increase in child care funding, the first funding increase for the National Labor Relations Board in nearly a decade, and more than $60 billion to implement new laws to rebuild U.S. infrastructure and reinvigorate the tradition of “Made in America.”
The bill also safeguards democracy at home and abroad. The updates to the Electoral Count Act will set critical boundaries to ensure that the president in the White House is the choice of the people—protecting the peaceful transition of power from threats like those seen on January 6. The bill also includes increased military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, bolstering the country’s ability to stop the spread of Russian autocracy.
While the 2023 omnibus will make the U.S. economy and democracy stronger next year, there is still work to be done. In 2021, millions of families benefited from an expanded child tax credit, and making this expansion permanent would allow millions of parents to breathe easier at night. Congress must continue the fight to safeguard American democracy, prioritize protecting nature, and provide the international climate funding required to meet U.S. commitments and ensure a healthier world.
In this season of reflection, it’s impossible not to think of the dark, dangerous days at the start of the 117th Congress. While much work remains, the country is without a doubt stronger, healthier, safer, and more prosperous. The past two years have been a lesson in what progressives can achieve when we are unified. And despite the difficult path ahead, we are excited and determined to keep up the fight in 2023.