ICYMI: BBT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANIELLE MELFI ON PEACOCK’S “ZERLINA” ON PATH FORWARD FOR BUILD BACK BETTER ACT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 24, 2022
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ICYMI: BBT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANIELLE MELFI ON PEACOCK’S “ZERLINA” ON PATH FORWARD FOR BUILD BACK BETTER ACT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – To mark the one-year anniversary of the Biden-Harris Administration, Building Back Together Executive Director Danielle Melfi joined Zerlina Maxwell on Peacock’s “Zerlina.” She discussed the progress already made in the first year of the Administration – including taking on the pandemic, jump starting our economic recovery, and passing legislation such as the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – in addition to the work that remains to be done, from voting rights reform to passing the Build Back Better Act to lower costs, create jobs, and ensure the wealthiest pay their fair share.

WATCH: BBT Executive Director Danielle Melfi with Zerlina Maxwell on Peacock

Key Quotes from BBT Executive Director Danielle Melfi:

  • On protecting voting rights: “The President has been steadfast in his commitment to protecting the freedom to vote. We’re going to see him continuing to fight for these federal protections, but also not take his foot off the gas with the other work the Administration is doing to protect voting rights. We’ve seen an increased investment in the Department of Justice to do the important work, investigating voter suppression cases, intervening in these legislative battles that we’re seeing in states like Texas and Georgia. And we know the President and his Administration will use every tool in their disposal to keep fighting for voting rights. As he said yesterday, disappointed but not deterred.”
  • On how the Build Back Better Act will address inflation and lower costs: “All those issues are pressing challenges to the American people and to working families. And the great thing about the Build Back Better Act is it takes on some of those challenges head on. When we’re talking about rising costs, Build Back Better lowers the cost of health care, child care, prescription drugs, utility bills, and that’s why it is so popular with the American people.”
  • On the path forward for Build Back Better: “The President is fighting for all of these pieces – whether it’s climate, whether it’s health care, whether it’s these investments in the care economy, and creating jobs and cutting taxes for working families, and that’s what you’ll continue to see. And I think also operating within what is possible, and what we’ve seen from this President is, is he knows Congress. Getting done the American Rescue Plan. Getting done the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which was something that folks said would never be possible. So I know they’re fighting hard in the White House, on the Hill, to make sure we’re moving this forward, to deliver our promises to the American people.”
  • On the Biden-Harris Administration’s fight against COVID: “ The American people are still feeling the pain of this pandemic. We all are. The president knows that. And that’s why his Administration is fighting every day and we just saw over the past week, providing free COVID tests to be delivered. Getting masks to more folks across the country. And I believe as we move forward, and we see the easing of this pandemic, we will see folks taking stock of what the Administration has accomplished over the next year.”
  • On communicating to the American people about the Biden-Harris Administration’s accomplishments and the work that remains: “But that’s why it’s also so important for us to keep talking about what Democrats have already accomplished. And reminding folks that it was Democrats who delivered this vaccination plan, who delivered stimulus [checks], and as investments are coming to states and cities across the country, to rebuild roads and bridges, we need to remind folks that it was the Biden-Harris Administration who made that possible. And we’re in just year one of this presidency, and they have more time and more important work to do.”
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