CBC chair: Spending bill will include funds for HBCUs, housing, childcare

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, signaled Wednesday morning that some of the group’s top priorities — funding for historically Black colleges and universities, continuation of the expanded child tax credit and housing vouchers — will be included in the final version of Democrats’ budget resolution.

“While it’s not a perfect ending, it is a lot of progress, and some of the most investments that have been made in our communities will happen because of members of the Congressional Black Caucus,” Beatty told reporters in a caucus press conference. 

Beatty acknowledged that the negotiated package that Democrats have spent weeks on was not yet finalized, but that it would be “shortly.”

The Ohio congresswoman also noted that the deal is set to include funding for childcare and greater healthcare coverage for “seniors and individuals with Medicaid.”

Other CBC members who were present at the press conference echoed Beatty’s words.

Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), the CBC’s 1st vice-chair, pointed out the impact the expanded child tax credit — a popular provision in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan — has already had on Black families.

“We know the expanded child tax credit has already cut child poverty nearly in half, lifting millions of Black children and families out of poverty,” Horsford said. 

“In the months after the first child tax credit payment went out the number of black families who didn’t have enough to eat dropped by 25 percent.”

Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) highlighted the health inequities in Black communities that were exacerbated by the pandemic, and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) added the plan greatly increases the amount of public housing vouchers, the most since Lyndon B. Johnson was president.

The caucus’ press conference comes after group members took part in a broad lawmaker meeting with senior White House staff early Tuesday afternoon that included representation from the Tri Caucus, Women’s Caucus and LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus.

In total, the revised proposal is thought to be around $2 trillion, considerably less than the initial $3.5 trillion price tag.

Although, Democratic leadership and the White House are eager to have a framework agreement to the resolution before Biden embarks on an overseas trip Thursday, it is increasingly looking like that deadline will be missed.