Biden’s BBB bill is the reason why Democrats had brought a $3.5 billion social and infrastructure bill to the table.
Negotiations within the party made the spending bill go down to $2 billion. The plan comprises social structuring and also addresses climate change. It will be a game-changer affecting not only the current generation but also the future ones.
Some of America’s major problems are those related to the working class. For a long, the middle class has been facing crises such as low wages and unemployment. Also, additional policies for childcare and care for the elderly have been under discussion.
Coupled with these, climate change is now also being looked into as a matter of social justice. Poorer communities have been afflicted by the environmental impact of industrialization, facing death and displacement by hazardous pollution and climate change precursors.
Take, for instance, the people living near oil fields of the Central Valley, most are suffering from the diseases of asthma and bronchitis. In other areas, the sweltering heat is faced by the lower-income community as opposed to those living in the posh areas, caused by the very way towns and green areas are designed.
That being said, Biden’s more leftist-than-centrist bill has many similarities to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s policies during the Great Depression.
Civilian Conservation Corps was created in the 1930s to combat the massive unemployment rates within the younger generation, all the while providing manpower to the government. It was based mainly in the rural areas, supporting the government in laying out infrastructure among other things.
White House Rallies Around Kamala Harris After Reports of Condition in West Wing
Civilian Climate Corps
A large force is going to be formed, following the principles of AmeriCorps and the CCC of the 1930s. What exactly will the CCC be working on is still in the pipeline, some general objectives are expected to be pursued.
With a backlog of maintenance on public lands, working on the green infrastructure within the cities to stop flooding and other environmental issues, are only some of the duties that CCC can perform.
Plus, they can also help save the coastal and wildlife habitats from environmental damage. Furthermore, the climate change part of the BBB proposal aims to rejuvenate the renewable energy sector. A lot of opportunities will come in that way which can be cashed in by the CCC workers.
In return for their services, the government gives a CCC worker a modest allowance, with housing and educational grants so that the corps member can gain vital skills and get a push towards their future goals. Although AmeriCorps is a good model to implement, there are a few more models such as Youthbuild and that of the US Labor Department that can be utilized.
What Should the Government Ensure?
What’s important is that the government ensures that CCC gets a diverse outlook, including all racial and minority elements within the team.
The Biden administration needs to make sure that it doesn’t end up as a gap year activity for students. Collin O’ Mara, the president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, says, “If this is simply a gap year for college kids from the suburbs, we will have failed on every level,” he said. “I think that means more inclusive hiring.
It means doing work in both urban and rural environments … Black, Latino, Latina, Indigenous, Asian American organizations to help build strong partnerships.”
Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., who has drafted multiple bills to create a climate corps, said the key goal is to “reimagine,” not recreate, the initial program. “And that includes ensuring there are more folks involved from different walks of life.
To make it clear, the CCC’s full potential can only be realized by effective governmental strategizing and implementation of those policies.
Another Problem With Corps
Another problem that has existed in the Corps programs is the amount of allowance given. In the 1930s it was around a dollar a day plus the daily meals. Currently, the different corps actively working in the US are paying low, not enough to support and nurture an individual above the poverty line.
A sum of $15 per hour is being proposed by experts which will be sufficient for living in most states. However, the Biden administration is putting aside a sum of approximately $10 billion for this cause as opposed to the $2 trillion proposed initially in his American Jobs Plan.
Republican View
The Republicans had supported Biden’s infrastructure bill however, they feel that this climate bill will negatively impact the energy sector of the US, which is based primarily on fossil fuels.
They feel this spending bill will bring further debts on the Americans for which the American generations are not prepared. What we can say for sure is that only time will tell how the bill affected the people of the USA.
