THE HOUSE PASSES THE BUILD BACK BETTER BILL
The House passed the $1.7 trillion sweeping social spending reconciliation bill this morning, which includes funding for tax, health care and climate initiatives. Of note to the Duke community, the package includes funding for scientific research and research infrastructure, a $550 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award and an expansion of student aid eligibility to DACA and TPS recipients.
The legislation now moves to the Senate, where it will likely be pared back in size and not considered until next month at the earliest. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) also released its predictions for the package, estimating it will cost $1.7 trillion over a decade and add $367 billion to the deficit.