U.S. House of Representatives Passes H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Build Back Better Act, legislation to lower the cost of health care; create good, union jobs; invest in solutions to the climate crisis; unrig the tax code so corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share; and much more. 

Now, the bill moves to the Senate, where it may be amended further. Some provisions in the House bill may be removed because they do not conform to the Senate’s rules regarding “reconciliation”—the process by which Congressional leadership is advancing this bill in order to bypass the filibuster and pass it with a simple majority of Senate votes. The analysis of whether provisions are allowable under the rules of reconciliation is often called a “Byrd bath.” 

Additionally, individual senators can propose changes to the bill during the lengthy amendment period included in the reconciliation rules. Because this amendment process typically entails continuous votes, it is referred to as a “vote-a-rama.” 

Should the Senate make any changes, however minor, to the House-passed version of the bill, the House will need to vote on the Senate-modified version before it can be signed by the president and become law. 

Read a brief summary of key policies included in the House-passed version of the Build Back Better Act here. Note that this synopsis is not exhaustive and describes only the version of the bill passed in the House of Representatives.