The Breakdown of the $3.5 Trillion Senate Budget

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The Breakdown of the $3.5 Trillion Senate Budget

September 7, 2021

By Jamila

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Build Back Better: The Breakdown of the $3.5 Trillion Senate Budget

Blog

September 2021

House and Senate Democrats hope to pass a 10-year cascade, $3.5T Senate Budget this fall. The bulk of funding aims at COVID-19 relief; greater family support resources; increased health and education programs; expanded access to housing and homeownership; and an aggressive crusade to heal the climate.

Originally a $7T plan, the Biden Administration’s plan, Build Back Better, would be financed by raising taxes on the wealthy (those earning $400,000 or more) and large corporations. The revised $3.5 trillion budget is at the heart of Biden’s vision for creating a better future for all Americans through Education and Workforce Opportunities, Access to Affordable Housing, Family Care, and addressing Climate Change.

Here’s the current breakdown of the budget’s main elements:

$135 billion to the Agriculture Committee

Agriculture conservation, drought, and forestry programs to help reduce carbon emissions and prevent wildfires
Rural development and rural co-op clean energy investments
Agricultural climate research and research infrastructure
Civilian Climate Corps funding
Child nutrition
Debt relief

$332 billion to the Banking Committee

Creation and preservation of affordable housing by making historic investments in programs like the Housing Trust Fund, HOME, the Capital Magnet Fund, and rural housing
Improve housing affordability and equity by providing down payment assistance, rental assistance, and other homeownership initiatives
Community investment, development and revitalization through initiatives like
Community Land Trusts, investments in CDBG, zoning, land use, and transit improvements and creating healthy and sustainable housing
Public Housing Capital Investments and Sustainability

$83 billion to the Commerce Committee

Investments in technology, transportation, and more
Research, manufacturing, and economic development
Coastal resiliency, healthy oceans investments, including the National Oceans and
Coastal Security Fund
National Science Foundation research and technology directorate

$198 billion to the Energy Committee

Clean Electricity Payment Program
Consumer rebates to weatherize and electrify homes
Financing for domestic manufacturing of clean energy and auto supply chain technologies
Federal procurement of energy-efficient materials
Climate research
Research infrastructure for DOE National Labs
Hard Rock mining
Department of Interior programs

$67 billion to the Environment and Public Works Committee

Clean Energy Technology Accelerator that would fund low-income solar and other climate-friendly technologies
Environmental justice investments in clean water affordability and access, healthy ports and climate equity
EPA climate and research programs
Federal investments in energy-efficient buildings and green materials
Appalachian Regional Commission and Economic Development Administration economic development and transition programs
Investments in clean vehicles
Methane polluter fee to reduce carbon emissions

$726 billion to the committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Universal Pre-K for 3 and 4-year olds
Child care for working families
Tuition-free community college
Investments in HBCUs, MSIs, HSIs, TCUs, and ANNHIs
Increase the maximum Pell grant award
School infrastructure, student success grants, and educator investments
Investments in primary care, including Community Health Centers, the National Health
Service Corps, the Nurse Corps, and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical
Education
Health equity (maternal, behavioral, and racial equity health investments)
Pandemic preparedness
Workforce development and job training
Labor enforcement and penalties
Civilian Climate Corps funding
Research infrastructure, including for HBCUs, MSIs, HSIs, TCUs, and ANNHIs

$37 billion to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Electrifying the federal vehicle fleet (USPS and Non-USPS)
Electrifying and rehabilitating federal buildings
Improving our cybersecurity infrastructure
Border management investments
Federal investments in green materials procurement
Resilience

$107 billion to the Judiciary Committee

Lawful permanent status for qualified immigrants
Investments in smart and effective border security measures
Community Violence Intervention Initiative

$20.5 billion to Indian Affairs Committee

Native health programs and facilities
Native education programs and facilities
Native American housing programs
Native energy programs
Native resilience and climate programs
BIA programs and facilities
Native language program
Native Civilian Climate Corps

$25 billion to Small Business Committee

Small business access to credit, investment, and markets

$18 billion to Veterans Affairs Committee

Upgrades to VA facilities

What does all this mean? In this unprecedented time of crisis, it means addressing the COVID-19 pandemic head on to minimize the threat to our economy, our environment, our health while providing relief to individuals and families most effected. It means creating good-paying jobs and tools for working families to break into and remain in the middle class. Building back better means improved access to safe, decent rental housing, homebuyer education, and affordable homeownership. It means reducing the costs of childcare an education and investing in clean energy and technology. In short, it means a better, cleaner, more innovative and equitable future for All Americans.