Rep. Cori Bush slams Sen. Joe Manchin on spending bill opposition

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) released the following statement criticizing Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Monday hours after he publicly refused to sign off on the latest iteration of a $1.75 social spending package that House Democrats hoped to vote on this week.

"Joe Manchin does not get to dictate the future of our country.

I do not trust his assessment of what our communities need the most. I trust the parents in my district who can’t get to their shift without childcare. "I trust the scientists who have shown us what our future will look like if we fail to meaningfully address the climate crisis. I trust the patients and doctors crying out for comprehensive health coverage for every person in America.

"When I promised St. Louis a historic investment in children, in our seniors, in housing, and in our schools, I said that I would do everything I can to actually deliver change that our community can feel. "We cannot spend the next year saying, ‘the House did its part, and now it’s the Senate’s turn.’ We need the Senate to actually get this done.

"Joe Manchin’s opposition to the Build Back Better Act is anti-Black, anti-child, anti-woman, and anti-immigrant. When we talk about transformative change, we are talking about a bill that will benefit Black, brown and Indigenous communities.

"Those same communities are overwhelmingly excluded from the bipartisan infrastructure bill. We cannot leave anyone behind.

Senator Manchin must support the Build Back Better Act."

What President Biden's Revamped Build Back Better Act Includes For HBCUs

When it comes to President Biden's Build Back Better Act you may have heard about Biden's plans for subsidized child care, universal pre-kindergarten and extended child tax credits.

But tucked inside the president's new scaled-back $1.85 trillion framework is significant funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Here is a brief overview of what Biden is proposing fr HBCUs:

* Biden's revamped framework includes $10 billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions – one of the few funding increases over what was proposed in the president's original $3.5 trillion reconciliation package.

* The bill sets aside $3 billion for grants to support research and development infrastructure at such institutions. There's also $6 billion in Title III and Title V federal aid for HBCUs, TCUs and minority-serving institutions over the next five years, which would be five times the amount these schools currently receive from these funding streams, according to the White House.

* Other HBCU funding includes $1 billion proposed for improvements of agricultural facilities at HBCUs that were established by 1890 land grants and $100 million for scholarships for students pursuing agricultural careers at these schools.

The significant boost for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions comes as Biden faces sharp criticism from leaders of Black colleges and universities after proposing about $2 billion for HBCUs in his initial plan.