Seriousness Builds for Build Back Better Plan
It’s not just internal politicking that is driving the timeline for Democrats, however. In any massive legislation, there are provisions that tend to sneak unnoticed across the finish line. The popular provisions, such as universal pre-K or paid family leave, are publicized widely, but as the process slows, the less popular or hastily written policies come to light and can slow down momentum. Case in point: this week, when the Build Back Better provision directing the IRS to collect additional data on every bank account that generates more than $600 in annual transactions was highlighted. (The Treasury Department has since announced a revised proposal that would apply to non-payroll bank accounts at a $10,000 threshold.) Public polling, too, tends to slip as controversial legislation languishes. While the overall Build Back Better agenda remains popular overall, specific planks of the plan poll lower. Also concerning to the majority party are rising inflation concerns, sinking favorability numbers for President Biden (40%, according to the most recent Quinnipiac Poll), a new Gallup Poll showing that the majority of Americans (52%) now say “government is doing too many things” (a reversal from last year). All of this leads to President Biden’s full court press to bring together factions of his party to pass the bill and get out of his self-created Build Back Better bubble.
Of course, none of this succeeds without 50 votes in the Senate. As of now, Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) are stalwart holdouts, each with their own negotiating priorities. Manchin is focused on climate provisions that could impact his home state, and Sinema has emerged as a leading opponent to both corporate taxation and drug pricing policy critical to achieving expanded health care. And as long as one or both Senators hold out, the Build Back Better plan is on ice. However, if and when both sign off on an agreement, the policy wheels will be greased to move fast.
How Can Print Impact the Process?
With the core Build Back Better drama unfolding at a negotiating table seated by only one political party — and the entire outcome hinging on one or two particular Senators — it’s hard to see how the printing industry can advocate to impact the process. And, candidly, the industry can’t influence whether or not the Build Back Better Act lives or dies. (Not even the 50 Republican Senators or entirety of House Republicans can make or break whether Build Back Better Act becomes law.)
Lisbeth Lyons is Vice President, Government & Political Affairs, PRINTING United Alliance, the largest, most comprehensive graphic arts trade association in the country. With more than 20 years of experience representing the voice of business on Capitol Hill, Lisbeth advocates for public policies that protect and advance the economic future of the printing and packaging industry. She oversees PRINTING United Alliance’s legislative, political, and grassroots advocacy initiatives, and has served in executive leadership of multiple successful advocacy campaigns, such as Coalition for Paper Options, Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, and Stop Tariffs on Printers & Publishers Coalition.
Prior to representing PRINTING United Alliance, Lisbeth served in similar roles at Printing Industries of America, US Telecom, and the National Federation of Independent Business. She also spent three years as a K-12 teacher in the Chicago Public Schools system, where she was on the forefront of urban education reform in the mid-1990s.
Lisbeth is Midwestern born and bred, having grown up in the St. Louis metropolitan area and attended college at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, before starting her career in Washington, DC. She holds a B.A. in English/Sociology and a professional graduate certificate from The George Washington University School of Political Management. She lives in the historic Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC.
An avid leader and learner in professional development, Lisbeth was a founding member of the Government Relations Leadership Forum, and is an active participant in organizations such as Council of Manufacturing Associations, Women in Government Relations, and National Association of Business PACs, among others. Lisbeth is often a featured speaker at premier industry conferences; she has spoken to Boards of Directors, corporate executive management teams, and state and regional trade associations across the country from coast to coast.
