The Biden-Harris Administration has consistently been about getting things done, though rarely breaking through the media fog focused on the latest Trump scandal and outrage. This fact sheet on how Biden is accelerating infrastructure projects that address the urgent need to transition to clean energy and provide jobs is provided by the White House:
President Biden has been clear that the government can and must deliver more projects, more quickly. Through his Investing in America Agenda, he is delivering on that promise by accelerating project reviews while protecting communities and our environment.
To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has deployed more than $560 billion in federal investments for over 68,000 projects across the nation, and the President has taken action to accelerate these projects by devoting long overdue resources to permitting and environmental reviews.
The Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic steps to accelerate and improve the federal permitting process so that Americans across the country can benefit from the promise of the Investing in America agenda – including lowering energy costs for families and creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying and union jobs. The Administration has taken a three-prong approach. First, investing $1 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act funds to hire experts and invest in new technologies to expedite reviews. Second, passing the first reforms to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the first time in 50 years and finalizing the Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule to accelerate the federal environmental review process. And third, using executive authorities, wherever possible, to improve permitting and environmental review processes.
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing two new actions that will help build more projects, more quickly.
The Bureau of Land Management is announcing a roadmap to support expanded solar energy production by making renewable energy siting and permitting on America’s public lands more efficient. This action will help expedite reviews of solar projects by steering them to areas with high solar potential and low wildlife and land conflicts, and ease burdens on solar developers. The Bureau of Land Management will make over 31 million acres of public lands across eleven western states available for solar development, helping to deliver clean power to millions of homes.
The Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the conditional approval of a new rule which will allow for new offsets to create clean air credits in Maricopa County. Companies with vehicle fleets can now generate credits by replacing or retrofitting diesel-burning vehicles with electric vehicles. Manufacturers or other new emitters can then purchase those credits to balance out their future emissions. This will allow the county, which is now a center of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S., to continue to build semiconductor fabs essential to our nation’s future and ensure that residents continue to have clean air.
Delivering Results
The Administration’s actions to reform federal permitting have already delivered real results. New data from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and federal agencies demonstrates that the Biden-Harris Administration is delivering more projects, more quickly while being responsible stewards of the environment and protecting communities.
The Biden-Harris Administration has cut 6 months off the median time it takes for agencies to complete environmental impact statements, the most comprehensive form of environmental review, representing 16% in time savings compared to the previous Administration and we are continuing to make more improvements.
Data indicates that there are similar results across a number of key sectors:
Clean Energy & Transmission: The Department of Energy has cut environmental review timelines by half for environmental impact statements compared to the prior Administration. In addition, DOE has completed 15% more environmental reviews compared to the previous Administration. In addition, the Department of Energy has started implementing the Coordinated Interagency Authorization and Permits (CITAP) program which is expected to cut review times in half for transmission projects.
Transportation: The Department of Transportation (DOT) has cut the average time it takes to complete an environmental assessment by more than one third. DOT has also completed 20% more reviews compared to the prior Administration for projects requiring environmental assessments or environmental impact statements.
Offshore wind: Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has completed environmental reviews for the nation’s first 10 commercial-scale offshore wind projects; before President Biden took office there were zero complete. Because of the Administration’s progress on permitting the nation’s first offshore wind projects and leasing new areas, the total U.S. offshore wind project pipeline now exceeds 80 gigawatts, enough to power more than 26 million homes if fully developed.
Onshore renewable energy: Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of the Interior has permitted more than twice as many clean energy projectson public lands than it did under the prior Administration. Together, these projects are expected to help power more than 12 million homes across the country.
Broadband: Across the federal government, agencies are processing more than twice as many permits for high-speed internet projects on federal lands and property as they did under the prior Administration. NTIA has established and adopted a total of 36 new categorical exclusions to streamline processes, including for historic preservation and threatened and endangered species compliance for broadband.
Additionally, for projects with minimal environmental impacts, the Biden-Harris Administration has expanded use of the fastest form of environmental review – categorical exclusions. Since the start of the Administration, over 15 federal agencies have developed, expanded, or adopted 125 categorical exclusions for projects with insignificant environmental impact in key sectors such as EV charging, broadband, semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, and transmission. This includes new categorical exclusions adopted using new permitting efficiencies passed by Congress in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
Federal agencies are using categorical exclusions to review the vast majority of project decisions, including 99% of federal highway decisions. This is an increase from the last time similar data was analyzed by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which found that just 96% of Federal Highway Administration projects were processed by categorical exclusions. Other agencies are also utilizing categorical exclusions for the vast majority of projects including 99% of Department of Energy decisions, and 98% of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projects decisions.
New Executive Actions to Accelerate Permitting
The Biden-Harris Administration has taken a number of steps in recent weeks to improve federal permitting processes to help advance projects critical to the President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.
Streamlining Historic Preservation Reviews: Earlier this month, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) proposed a Program Comment to accelerate historic preservation reviews for millions of clean energy, transportation, housing, and building projects over the next two decades. This action builds on steps that ACHP announced earlier this year to accelerate historic preservation reviews for broadband projects.
Accelerating Transmission Projects: The Biden-Harris Administration has started to implement the new Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorizations and Permits (CITAP) program which will help accelerate permitting for transmission projects to bring reviews down to a two-year timeline – twice as fast as the historical average of four years. A recent study of 33 projects found that had CITAP been in place from 2010 through 2020, it could have saved the equivalent of approximately 66 years in federal permitting time. The Department of Energy (DOE) recently opened the portal for transmission developers and project sponsors to apply for the CITAP program. In addition, the Department of Energy recently announced $371 million for 20 projects across 16 states to accelerate the siting and permitting of high-voltage interstate transmission projects and support community infrastructure projects.
Expanding Categorial Exclusions: In recent weeks, the U.S. Forest Service adopted 10 categorical exclusions that will accelerate its review of broadband projects. Data from the U.S. Forest Service indicates that these categorical exclusions will help streamline reviews for 100 broadband projects by 2027, thereby saving over $24 million in staff time per year and lead to a total reduction of over 20 years in processing time. In April the Bureau of Land Management adopted categorical exclusions to accelerate review of geothermal projects. And, earlier this month, the Department of Transportation announced a new categorical exclusion to help expedite reviews of projects dedicated to fixing older, leak-prone natural gas pipelines.
Modernizing NEPA Technology: Last month CEQ released new recommendations for using technology to modernize environmental reviews. In a new report to Congress CEQ evaluates permitting processes, include an analysis of 16 different agency technology tools and initiatives being advanced to improve the environmental review and permitting process.
In a stirring, pitch-perfect speech accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination for President, Vice President Kamala Harris prosecuted the case for her election, listing her credentials, outlining her “Opportunity Agenda”, her plans to bring the nation forward, and building to a powerful crescendo in declaring her defense of national security and America’s role as leader of the Free World defending freedom and democracy not only for every American, but for freedom-seeking people around the world.
Along the way, she listed why Donald Trump and the Republicans, with their chaos and Project 2025 blueprint to strip Americans of freedom, and Trump’s denigration of the nation and US military, his promise of retribution and weaponizing Justice and the military, and his kowtowing to the despots, tyrants and autocrats he hopes to emulate, was wholy unqualified to ever occupy the Oval Office ever again.
“It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done, guided by optimism and faith: to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish, and to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth — the privilege and pride of being an American,” Harris declared.
Here is a highlighted transcript of her historic speech: – Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Please. Thank you so very much. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, everyone. Thank you. (Applause.)
Okay, let’s get to business. Let’s get to business. All right. (Laughs.) (Applause.)
So, let me start by thanking my most incredible husband, Doug — (applause) — for being an incredible partner to me, an incredible father to Cole and Ella. And happy anniversary, Dougie. (Laughs.) (Applause.) I love you so very much.
To our president, Joe Biden — (applause) — when I think about the path that we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude. Your record is extraordinary, as history will show, and your character is inspiring. And Doug and I love you and Jill and are forever thankful to you both. (Applause.)
And to Coach Tim Walz — (applause) — you are going to be an incredible vice president. (Applause.)
And to the delegates and everyone who has put your faith in our campaign, your support is humbling.
So, America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected, but I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys.
So, my mother, our mother, Shyamala Harris, had one of her own. And I miss her every day and especially right now. And I know she’s looking down smiling. (Applause.) I know that.
So, my mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California with an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer. (Applause.)
When she finished school, she was supposed to return home to a traditional arranged marriage, but as fate would have it, she met my father, Donald Harris, a student from Jamaica. (Applause.) They — they fell in love and got married, and that act of self-determination made my sister Maya and me. (Applause.)
Growing up, we moved a lot. I will always remember that big Mayflower truck packed with all our belongings, ready to go to Illinois; to Wisconsin — (applause); and wherever our parents’ jobs took us.
My early memories of our parents together are very joyful ones: a home filled with laughter and music — Aretha, Coltrane, and Miles. At the park, my mother would say, “Stay close.” But my father would say, as he smiled, “Run, Kamala, run. Don’t be afraid. Don’t let anything stop you.” (Applause.) From my earliest years, he taught me to be fearless.
But the harmony between my parents did not last. When I was in elementary school, they split up, and it was mostly my mother who raised us.
Before she could finally afford to buy a home, she rented a small apartment in the East Bay. In the bay — (applause) — in the Bay, you either live in the Hills or the Flatlands. We lived in the Flats, a beautiful working-class neighborhood of firefighters, nurses, and construction workers — (applause) — all who tended their lawns with pride.
My mother, she worked long hours. And like many working parents, she leaned on a trusted circle to help raise us: Mrs. Shelton, who ran the daycare below us and became a second mother; Uncle Sherman; Aunt Mary; Uncle Freddy; Auntie Kris. None of them family by blood and all of them family by love. (Applause.)
Family who taught us how to make gumbo, how to play chess — and sometimes even let us win. Family who loved us, believed in us, and told us we could be anything and do anything. (Applause.)
They instilled in us the values they personified: community, faith, and the importance of treating others as you would want to be treated — with kindness, respect, and compassion. (Applause.)
My mother was a brilliant, five-foot-tall brown woman with an accent. (Applause.) And as the eldest child — as the eldest child, I saw how the world would sometimes treat her. But my mother never lost her cool. She was tough, courageous, a trailblazer in the fight for women’s health. And she taught Maya and me a lesson that Michelle mentioned the other night. She taught us to never complain about injustice, but do something about it. Do something about it. (Applause.) That was my mother.
And she taught us — and she always — she also taught us — and she also taught us “and never do anything half-assed.” (Applause.) And that is a direct quote — (laughs) — a direct quote.
I grew up immersed in the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement. My parents had met at a civil rights gathering. And they made sure that we learned about civil rights leaders, including the lawyers, like Thurgood Marshall and C- — Constance Baker Motley — those who battled in the courtroom to make real the promise of America.
So, at a young age, I decided I wanted to do that work. I wanted to be a lawyer. And when it came time to choose the type of law I would pursue, I reflected on a pivotal moment in my life.
You see, when I was in high school, I started to notice something about my best friend, Wanda. She was sad at school, and there were times she didn’t want to go home.
So, one day, I asked if everything was all right, and she confided in me that she was being sexually abused by her stepfather. And I immediately told her she had to come stay with us, and she did. (Applause.)
This is one of the reasons I became a prosecutor — to protect people like Wanda — because I believe everyone has a right to safety, to dignity, and to justice. (Applause.)
As a prosecutor, when I had a case, I charged it not in the name of the victim but in the name of the people for a simple reason: In our system of justice, a harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us. (Applause.)
And I would often explain this to console survivors of crime, to remind them no one should be made to fight alone. We are all in this together. (Applause.)
And every day in the courtroom, I stood proudly before a judge and I said five words: “Kamala Harris, for the people.” (Applause.)
And to be clear — and to be clear, my entire career, I’ve only had one client: the people. (Applause.)
And so, on behalf of the people; on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks; on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey; on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with — people who work hard, chase their dreams, and look out for one another; on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America. (Applause.)
And with this election — and — (laughs) — and with this election, our nation — our nation, with this election, has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past; a chance to chart a new way forward — (applause) — not — not as members of any one party or faction but as Americans. (Applause.)
And let me say, I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know I promise to be a president for all Americans. (Applause.) You can always trust me to put country above party and self; to hold sacred America’s fundamental principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power. (Applause.)
I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations. A president who leads and listens; who is realistic, practical, and has common sense; and always fights for the American people. (Applause.)
From the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life’s work. (Applause.)
As a young courtroom prosecutor in Oakland, California — (applause) — I stood up for women and children against predators who abused them.
As attorney general of California, I took on the big banks — (applause) — delivered $20 billion for middle-class families who faced foreclosure and helped pass a homeowner bill of rights, one of the first of its kind in the nation. (Applause.)
I stood up for veterans and students being scammed by big for-profit colleges — (applause) — for workers who were being cheated out of their wages, the wages they were due — (applause) — for seniors facing elder abuse.
I fought against the cartels who traffic in guns and drugs and human beings — (applause) — who threaten the security of our border and the safety of our communities.
And I will tell you, these fights were not easy and neither were the elections that put me in those offices.
We were underestimated at practically every turn, but we never gave up, because the future is always worth fighting for. (Applause.) And that’s the fight we are in right now: a fight for America’s future. (Applause.)
Fellow Americans, this election is not only the most important of our lives, it is one of the most important in the life of our nation. (Applause.)
In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. (Laughter.) But the consequences — but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious. (Applause.)
Consider — consider not only the chaos and calamity when he was in office but also the gravity of what has happened since he lost the last election. Donald Trump tried to throw away your votes. When he failed, he sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol, where they assaulted law enforcement officers.
When politicians in his own party begged him to call off the mob and send help, he did the opposite. He fanned the flames.
And now, for an entirely different set of crimes, he was found guilty of fraud by a jury of everyday Americans — (applause) — and separately — and separately found liable for committing sexual abuse.
And consider — consider what he intends to do if we give him power again. Consider his explicit intent to set free violent extremists who assaulted those law enforcement officers at the Capitol; his explicit intent to jail journalists, political opponents, and anyone he sees as the enemy; his explicit intent to deploy our active-duty military against our own citizens.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Consider — consider the power he will have, especially after the United States Supreme Court just ruled that he would be immune from criminal prosecution.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had: himself. (Applause.)
And we know — and we know what a second Trump term would look like. It’s all laid out in Project 2025, written by his closest advisers. And its sum total is to pull our country back to the past. But, America —
AUDIENCE: We are not going back!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — we are not going back. (Applause.) We are not going back. We are not going back.
AUDIENCE: We’re not going back! We’re not going back! We’re not going back!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We are not going back to when Donald Trump tried to cut Social Security and Medicare.
We are not going back to when he tried to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions.
We are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools. (Applause.)
We are not going to let him end programs like Head Start that provide preschool and childcare for our children. (Applause.)
America, we are not going back.
AUDIENCE: We’re not going back! We’re not going back! We’re not going back!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And we are charting — and we are charting a new way forward — (applause) — forward to a future with a strong and growing middle class, because we know a strong middle class has always been critical to America’s success. And building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency. (Applause.)
And I’ll tell you, this is personal for me. The middle class is where I come from. My mother kept a strict budget. We lived within our means, yet we wanted for little. And she expected us to make the most of the opportunities that were available to us and to be grateful for them, because, as she taught us, opportunity is not available to everyone.
That’s why we will create what I call an opportunity economy — an opportunity economy where everyone has the chance to compete and a chance to succeed — (applause) — whether you live in a rural area, small town, or big city.
And as president, I will bring together labor and workers — (applause) — and small-business owners and entrepreneurs and American companies to create jobs, to grow our economy, and to lower the cost of everyday needs like health care and housing and groceries.
We will provide access to capital for small-business owners and entrepreneurs and founders. (Applause.) And we will end America’s housing shortage — (applause) — and protect Social Security and Medicare. (Applause.)
Now compare that to Donald Trump, because I think everyone here knows he doesn’t actually fight for the middle class. Not — he doesn’t actually fight for the middle class. Instead, he fights for himself and his billionaire friends. And he will give them another round of tax breaks that will add —
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — up to $5 trillion to the national debt.
AUDIENCE: Booo — THE VICE PRESIDENT: And all the while, he intends to enact what in effect is a national sales tax — call it a “Trump tax” — that would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year.
AUDIENCE: Booo – THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, instead of a Trump tax hike, we will pass a middle-class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million Americans. (Applause.)
Friends, I believe America cannot truly be prosperous unless Americans are fully able to make their own decisions about their own lives, especially on matters of heart and home. (Applause.) But tonight, in America, too many women are not able to make those decisions.
And let’s be clear about how we got here. Donald Trump handpicked members of the United States Supreme Court to take away reproductive freedom.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And now he brags about it. In his words, quote, “I did it, and I’m proud to have done it.” End quote.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, I’ll tell you, over the past two years, I’ve traveled across our country, and women have told me their stories. Husbands and fathers have shared theirs.
Stories of women miscarrying in a parking lot, developing sepsis, losing the ability to ever again have children, all because doctors are afraid they may go to jail for caring for their patients. Couples just trying to grow their family, cut off in the middle of IVF treatments. Children who have survived sexual assault potentially being forced to carry a pregnancy to term.
This is what’s happening in our country because of Donald Trump. And understand, he is not done. As a part of his agenda, he and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion, and enact a nationwide abortion ban, with or without Congress.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
And get this. Get this. He plans to create a national anti-abortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Simply put, they are out of their minds. (Applause.)
And one must ask — one must ask: Why exactly is it that they don’t trust women? Well, we trust women. We trust women. (Applause.)
And when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law. (Applause.)
In this election, many other fundamental freedoms are at stake: the freedom to live safe from gun violence in our schools, communities, and places of worship; the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride — (applause); the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis — (applause); and the freedom that unlocks all the others, the freedom to vote. (Applause.)
With this election, we finally have the opportunity to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. (Applause.)
And let me be clear. And let me be clear. After decades in law enforcement, I know the importance of safety and security, especially at our border.
Last year, Joe and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades. The Border Patrol endorsed it. But Donald Trump believes a border deal would hurt his campaign, so he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, I refuse to play politics with our security, and here is my pledge to you. As president, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed, and I will sign it into law. (Applause.)
I know — I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system. (Applause.)
We can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border. (Applause.)
And, America, we must also be steadfast in advancing our security and values abroad.
As vice president, I have confronted threats to our security, negotiated with foreign leaders, strengthened our alliances, and engaged with our brave troops overseas. (Applause.)
As commander in chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world. (Applause.) And I will fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families, and I will always honor and never disparage their service and their sacrifice. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I will make sure that we lead the world into the future on space and artificial intelligence; that America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century; and that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership.
Trump, on the other hand, threatened to abandon NATO. He encouraged Putin to invade our allies. Said Russia could, quote, “do whatever the hell they want.”
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President Zelenskyy to warn him about Russia’s plan to invade. I helped mobilize a global response — over 50 countries — to defend against Putin’s aggression. (Applause.) And as president, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO Allies. (Applause.)
With respect to the war in Gaza, President Biden and I are working around the clock, because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done. (Applause.)
And let me be clear. And let me be clear. I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself — (applause) — and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7 — (applause) — including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival.
At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost. (Applause.) Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.
President Biden and I are working to end this war, such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination. (Applause.)
And know this: I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists. I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un, who are rooting for Trump — who are rooting for Trump. (Applause.)
Because, you know, they know — they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be an autocrat himself. (Applause.)
And as president, I will never waver in defense of America’s security and ideals, because in the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, fellow Americans — fellow Americans, I — I love our country with all my heart. (Applause.)
Everywhere I go — everywhere I go, in everyone I meet, I see a nation that is ready to move forward, ready for the next step in the incredible journey that is America.
I see an America where we hold fast to the fearless belief that built our nation and inspired the world — that here, in this country, anything is possible; that nothing is out of reach. An America where we care for one another, look out for one another, and recognize that we have so much more in common than what separates us. (Applause.) That none of us — none of us has to fail for all of us to succeed. (Applause.) And that in unity, there is strength.
You know, our opponents in this race are out there every day denigrating America, talking about how terrible everything is. Well, my mother had another lesson she used to teach: Never let anyone tell you who you are; you show them who you are. (Applause.)
America, let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness, and endless possibilities. (Applause.)
We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world. And on behalf of our children and our grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment.
It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done, guided by optimism and faith: to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish, and to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth — the privilege and pride of being an American. (Applause.)
So, let’s get out there, let’s fight for it. Let’s get out there, let’s vote for it. And together, let us write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told. (Applause.)
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America. Thank you all. (Applause.)
Vice President Kamala Harris announced several proposals for her first 100 days in office to bring down costs for American families. The steps announced today will cut taxes for the middle class, reduce grocery costs, take on price gouging, lower the costs of owning and renting a home, continue to bring down the costs of prescription drugs, and relieve medical debt for millions of Americans. These bold actions will address some of the sharpest pain points American families are confronting and bolster their financial security – what Harris calls “The Opportunity Agenda.”
Highlights:
🏠 Creating affordable housing
Build 3 million new homes and create new tax incentives for builders who construct affordable units and starter homes
Prevent corporate landlords from using algorithms to collude to raise rents
Block Wall Street investors from buying homes in bulk to resell at a premium
Provide $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers
🥕 Lowering grocery prices
Pass the first-ever federal ban on corporate price gouging on food and groceries
Take an aggressive approach to proposed mergers that reduce competition and hurt consumers among the biggest food producers
🏥 Cutting health care costs
Expand the Biden administration’s landmark $35 price cap on insulin for Medicare recipients to cover all Americans
Crack down on pharmaceutical companies who block competition
Work with states to cancel medical debt for millions of Americans
Expand subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans that would save health insurance customers an average of $700 on their premiums
💸 Building a fair tax code
Raise the Child Tax Credit to $3,600 per child for middle class and working families, and $6,000 for families with newborns
Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for workers in lower-income jobs, cutting taxes by up to $1,250
Eliminate tax on tips for hospitality and service workers making less than $80,000
These proposals are just one part of the Vice President’s economic plan, which also includes protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare; bringing together labor, small businesses, and major corporations to invest in America, create jobs, and deliver for Americans; lowering costs of education, child care, and long-term care; empowering workers and their right to come together to bargain for higher wages; creating a stable business environment with consistent and transparent rules; encouraging innovative technologies while protecting consumers; and so much more. Vice President Harris has made clear that building up the middle class will be a defining goal of her presidency. She will deliver for Americans who are demanding a new way forward towards a future that lifts up all Americans so that they can not just get by, but get ahead.
Here are her plans, in detail:
Build the American Dream: Lowering the Costs of Renting and Owning a Home
Vice President Harris knows that our nation’s housing affordability crisis is making it hard for tens of millions of Americans to make ends meet while putting the American Dream of homeownership out of reach for too many working families. That’s why she will launch an urgent and comprehensive four-year plan to lower housing costs for working families and end America’s housing shortage.
Calling for the Construction of 3 Million New Housing Units To End the Housing Supply Shortage in the Next Four Years. There’s a serious housing shortage across America, and it’s driving prices up. Vice President Harris will work in partnership with industry to build the housing we need, both to rent and to buy, and to take down barriers that stand in the way of building new housing, including at the state and local levels. This will make rents and mortgages cheaper.
First-Ever Tax Incentive for Building Starter Homes. A Harris-Walz Administration will propose the first-ever tax incentive for homebuilders who build starter homes sold to first-time homebuyers—alleviating the shortage of houses on the market for aspiring homeowners. This would complement the Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit that encourages investment in homes that would otherwise be too costly or difficult to develop or rehabilitate.
A Historic Expansion of the Existing Tax Incentive for Businesses That Build Rental Housing that is Affordable.
A New Federal Fund To Spur Innovative Housing Construction. A Harris-Walz Administration will propose a new $40 billion innovation fund—doubling down on the $20 billion Biden-Harris Administration’s proposed innovation fund. Like that proposal, it would empower local governments to fund local solutions to build housing. It would also go further to support innovative methods of construction financing, and empower developers and homebuilders to design and build rental and housing solutions that are affordable—with one condition: they must show they will deliver results. This fund will support the expansion of innovative local efforts, like those in Wake County, North Carolina where they are using American Rescue Plan funds to build or preserve 2,400 affordable housing units including a 100-unit development coming online at Kings Ridge and a 176-unit affordable housing development at Tyron Station. Vice President Harris will also take action to make certain federal lands eligible to be repurposed for new housing developments that families can afford.
Cut Red Tape and Needless Bureaucracy. These plans will build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to cut red tape and enable more home building to bring down housing costs—which have advanced record levels of new home construction. Pushing this forward also means streamlining permitting processes and reviews, including for transit-oriented and conversion development, so builders can get homes on the market sooner and bring down costs.
Lowering the Rent for Hardworking Americans by Taking on Corporate and Major Landlords. In addition to ongoing efforts by Vice President Harris and President Biden to expand rental assistance for hard-pressed Americans including for veterans, boost housing supply for those without homes, enforce fair housing laws, and make sure corporate landlords can’t use taxpayer dollars to unfairly rip off renters, today she is proposing plans to:
Stop Wall Street Investors from Buying Up and Marking Up Homes in Bulk. Community after community feels taken advantage of by Wall Street investors and distant landlords. Vice President Harris is calling on Congress to pass the Stop Predatory Investing Act, to curtail these practices by removing key tax benefits for major investors who acquire large numbers of single-family rental homes.
Stop Rent-Setting Data Firms From Price Fixing To Raise Rents by Double Digits. Corporate landlords are using private equity-backed price-setting tools to collude with each other and jack up rents dramatically in communities across the country. Vice President Harris is calling on Congress to pass the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act, to crack down on these companies that contribute to surging rent prices.
Providing Historic $25,000 Down-Payment Support for First-Time Homeowners. Many Americans work hard at their jobs, save, and pay their rent on time month after month. But they can’t save enough after paying their rent and other bills to save for a down payment—denying them a shot at owning a home and building wealth. As the Harris-Walz plan starts to expand the supply of entry-level homes, they will, during their first term, provide working families who have paid their rent on time for two years and are buying their first home up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners. The Biden-Harris administration initially proposed providing $25,000 in downpayment assistance only for 400,000 first-generation home buyers—or homebuyers whose parents don’t own a home—and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers. Vice President Harris’s plan will simplify and significantly expand that plan by providing on average $25,000 for all eligible first-time home buyers, while ensuring full participation by first-generation home buyers. It will expand the reach of down-payment assistance, allowing over 4 million first time-buyers over 4 years to get significant down payment assistance.
Trump likes to talk about being a builder, but when he was President, he simply never got it done. Now, his Project 2025 agenda will make it more expensive to rent or buy a home. As a landlord, Trump used underhanded tactics to evict tenants from his properties, and he was sued by the Justice Department for racial discrimination. Year after year during his presidency, Trump tried to gut rental assistance programs. New home construction slowed down while Trump was in office—tightening the housing crunch and enabling his wealthy friends to profit. More housing units have been under construction every month of the Biden-Harris Administration than during any month of Trump’s presidency. Trump’s Project 2025 agenda will raise millions of Americans’ mortgage costs, with just one proposal increasing costs around $1,200 a year. The few people better off under Trump’s Project 2025 housing agenda: the wealthy investors who spend time at his Mar-a-Lago country club.
Lowering the Costs of Prescription Drugs and Relieving Medical Debt
As California’s Attorney General, Kamala Harris held Big Pharma accountable for deceptive and illegal practices, winning $7 billion on behalf of Americans in lawsuits brought against their unsafe and unfair tactics. As Vice President, she cast the tie-breaking vote in the Inflation Reduction Act to help save millions of Americans $800 a year on their health insurance, win the right for Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices with the big pharmaceutical companies, cap the cost of insulin at $35 for seniors, and cap seniors’ out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 starting next year. As President, she will build on these historic actions by working with Congress to:
Cap the cost of insulin at $35 and out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs at $2,000 for everyone, not just seniors.
Accelerate the speed of Medicare negotiations over prescription drugs. Building on the Biden-Harris administration’s work to allow Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs and cut the cost of some of the most expensive and most commonly used drugs by nearly 40% to 80% starting in 2026, Vice President Harris will allow Medicare to accelerate the speed of negotiations so the prices of more drugs come down faster.
She will increase competition and demand transparency in the health care industry, starting by cracking down on pharmaceutical companies who block competition and abusive practices by pharmaceutical middlemen who squeeze small pharmacies’ profits and raise costs for consumers.
Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will also work with states to cancel medical debt for millions of Americans and to help them avoid accumulating such debt in the future, because no one should go bankrupt just because they had the misfortune of becoming sick or hurt. This plan builds on Vice President Harris’ leadership in removing medical debt from nearly all Americans’ credit reports and in helping secure American Rescue Plan funds to cancel $7 billion of medical debt for up to 3 million Americans.
Trump wants to “terminate” the Affordable Care Act, and go back to the time when 100 million Americans with pre-existing conditions like cancer, diabetes, or asthma could be denied coverage, or charged thousands more. His Project 2025 agenda will reverse the victories over Big Pharma secured in the Inflation Reduction Act, and remove the Biden-Harris Administration’s caps on insulin and total prescription drug costs for seniors.
Lowering Grocery Costs
Vice President Harris knows that rising food prices remain a top concern for American families. Many big grocery chains that have seen production costs level off have nevertheless kept prices high and have seen their highest profits in two decades. While some food companies have passed along these savings, others still have not. Price fluctuations are normal in free markets, but Vice President Harris recognizes there is a big difference between fair pricing and the excessive prices unrelated to the costs of doing business that Americans have seen in the food and grocery industry.
That’s why Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will work to enact a plan in their first 100 days to go after bad actors to bring down Americans’ grocery costs and keep inflation in check. They will work with Congress to:
Advance the first-ever federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries;
Set clear rules of the road to make clear that big corporations can’t unfairly exploit consumers to run up excessive profits on food and groceries.
Secure new authority for the FTC and state attorneys general to investigate and impose strict new penalties on companies that break the rules.
Extreme consolidation in the food industry has led to higher prices that account for a large part of higher grocery bills. To confront this issue, Vice President Harris will also direct her Administration to crack down on unfair mergers and acquisitions that give big food corporations the power to jack up food and grocery prices and undermine the competition that allows all businesses to thrive while keeping prices low for consumers. And her plan will support smaller businesses, like grocery stores, meat processors, farmers, and ranchers, so those industries can become more competitive.
These actions stand in stark contrast to Trump, who would increase costs for families by at least $3,900 with what is, in effect, a new national sales tax on imported everyday goods that American families rely on, like gas, food, clothing, and medicine. Sixteen Nobel laureates agree that Trump’s economic agenda would ignite inflation, and other experts predict that his plans would plunge the United States into a recession.
Cutting Taxes for the Middle Class—With Up to $6,000 Tax Credit per Child
Vice President Harris is proposing a new plan to get tax relief to more than 100 million Americans. Her plan will expand the Child Tax Credit to provide a $6,000 tax cut to families with newborn children. Unlike Trump and Vance, Vice President Harris is committed to ensuring no one earning less than $400,000 a year will pay more in new taxes.
Vice President Harris and Governor Walz’s plan will:
Cut Taxes for Middle-Class Families with Kids. Vice President Harris will restore the American Rescue Plan’s expanded Child Tax Credit and fight to make it the ongoing law of the land. It will provide up to $3,600 per child tax credit for middle class and the most hard-pressed working families with children.
A New $6,000 Child Tax Credit for Families with Children in the First Year of Life: On top of restoring this critical tax relief for families with children, Vice President Harris’ plan makes a historic expansion of the Child Tax Credit: providing up to $6,000 in total tax relief for middle-income and low-income families for the first year of their child’s life when a family’s expenses are highest—with cribs, diapers, car seats and more—and many parents are still forced to forgo income as they take time off from their job.
Cut Taxes for Frontline Workers. They will expand the Earned Income Tax Credit to cover individuals and couples in lower-income jobs who aren’t raising a child in their home, cutting their taxes by up to $1,500.
Cut Taxes To Help Americans Afford Health Insurance on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, saving an average of $700 on their health insurance premiums, totaling over $6,000 per year in savings the Affordable Care Act is providing—which Trump wants to repeal.
In contrast, Donald Trump is promising to reduce prices “immediately” by what sounds like exerting a power he doesn’t have to cut prices or even “drill, drill, drill.”
He is promising to raise tariffs, which will increase costs (inflation) for families by an average of $3,900 a year and give another billionaire tax break to his ultra-wealthy friends (equivalent to a tax handout of $3.5 million APIECE each year), give big corporations a $1.5 trillion windfall, and make it easier for wealthy tax cheats to avoid paying what they owe.
Trump promises to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act which will send energy costs skyrocketing, as well as repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which will immediately increase health care costs and make access to health care unaffordable (again) for millions. He calls Harris’ insistence that health care is a right, not a privilege “communism.”
16 Nobel-winning economists have said that Trump’s economic policies would increase the national debt by trillions, eliminate millions of jobs, and raise costs for families.
The difference between Harris and Trump is what is possible and legal (and has already been shown to work, with the Inflation Reduction Act that helped spawn wage growth, low unemployment, economic development, clean energy, manufacturing), and what is not possible or not legal or within the power of the president, even one who thinks he has total immunity.
“Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will work with businesses, entrepreneurs, workers, and all stakeholders to drive an economy that creates opportunity and ensures stability and security for everyone.,” the campaign stated. “They believe competition is the lifeblood of our economy, and they will build the confidence and certainty that helps businesses innovate and grow. They will also fulfill their commitment to fiscal responsibility, including by asking the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations to pay their fair share—steps that will allow us to make necessary investments in the middle class, while also reducing the deficit and strengthening our fiscal health.
“Trump added a record amount to the national debt during his term, and now he and Vance are running to exact political retribution, attack the rule of law, undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve and other regulators, uproot these investments, disrupt global markets, and leave American communities behind.”
Two years ago, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote in Congress. Not a single Republican voted for it and Trump/Vance and the Republicans vow to repeal it and replace it with Project 2025 laundry list of policies which will harm working and middle-class families. and undermine progress toward an equitable, sustainable economy. –Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
The Inflation Reduction Act is a key part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, which has driven the fastest and most equitable recovery on record – creating good-paying jobs, expanding opportunity, and lowering costs in every corner of the country.
Already, the Inflation Reduction Act is transforming American lives by finally beating Big Pharma to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, making the largest investment in clean energy and climate action in history, creating hundreds of thousands good-paying jobs, lowering health care and energy costs, and making the tax code fairer.
Visit the White House Savings Explorer to see how Americans are saving money on their annual expenses because of the Inflation Reduction Act and other Biden-Harris Administration actions.
Statement from President Joe Biden on Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary
Two years ago, I signed the Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history that is lowering energy costs and creating good-paying union jobs, while taking on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug costs—with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Already, this law is lowering health care costs for millions of families, strengthening energy security, and creating more than 330,000 clean energy jobs according to outside groups. It has also unleashed $265 billion in clean energy and manufacturing investments from the private sector in the last two years—part of the nearly $900 billion invested in America since we took office.
This historic legislation is fiscally responsible. It lowers the deficit over the long run by cutting wasteful spending on special interests and making big corporations and the wealthy pay more of their fair share. And just yesterday, my Administration announced lower prescription drug prices for the first ten drugs that have been negotiated by Medicare, which will cut the prices of drugs used to treat blood clots, heart disease, cancer, and more by nearly 40% to 80%, and save taxpayers $6 billion in the first year alone.
While Republicans in Congress try to repeal this law—which would increase prescription drug costs and take good-paying jobs away from their constituents, all to give massive tax cuts to big corporations—Vice President Harris and I will keep fighting to move our country forward by investing in America and giving families more breathing room.
Statement from President Joe Biden on Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary
Two years ago, I signed the Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history that is lowering energy costs and creating good-paying union jobs, while taking on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug costs—with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Already, this law is lowering health care costs for millions of families, strengthening energy security, and creating more than 330,000 clean energy jobs according to outside groups. It has also unleashed $265 billion in clean energy and manufacturing investments from the private sector in the last two years—part of the nearly $900 billion invested in America since we took office.
This historic legislation is fiscally responsible. It lowers the deficit over the long run by cutting wasteful spending on special interests and making big corporations and the wealthy pay more of their fair share. And just yesterday, my Administration announced lower prescription drug prices for the first ten drugs that have been negotiated by Medicare, which will cut the prices of drugs used to treat blood clots, heart disease, cancer, and more by nearly 40% to 80%, and save taxpayers $6 billion in the first year alone.
While Republicans in Congress try to repeal this law—which would increase prescription drug costs and take good-paying jobs away from their constituents, all to give massive tax cuts to big corporations—Vice President Harris and I will keep fighting to move our country forward by investing in America and giving families more breathing room.
FACT SHEET: Two Years In, the Inflation Reduction Act is Lowering Costs for Millions of Americans, Tackling the Climate Crisis, and Creating Jobs
In the two years since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law:
Just yesterday, the President and Vice President announced that, for the first time in history, Medicare successfully negotiated lower prescription drug prices, which will save millions of seniors, people with disabilities, and other Medicare beneficiaries over $1.5 billion out-of-pocket in the first year.
Millions of Americans are saving an average of $800 per year on health insurance premiums because of cost savings from the American Rescue Plan that the Inflation Reduction Act extended, helping drive the nation’s uninsured rate to historic lows. 4 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries saved money on insulin because of the law’s cap at $35 for a month’s supply. 10.3 million Medicare enrollees received a free vaccine in 2023, saving them more than $400 million in out-of-pocket vaccine costs. The IRS successfully piloted Direct File in 12 states, saving 140,000 people an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees by enabling them to file their taxes directly with the IRS online, for free. And, the IRS has recovered over $1 billion by cracking down on millionaire tax cheats since the law passed. Last year, 3.4 million Americans benefited from $8.4 billion in Inflation Reduction Act tax credits to lower the cost of clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades in their homes – significantly outpacing projections of the popularity of the tax credits in just the first year they were available. Since January 2024, more than 250,000 Americans have claimed the IRA’s electric vehicle tax credit, saving these buyers about $1.5 billion total. Nearly all of these buyers claimed the incentive at the point of sale. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, companies have announced$900 billion in clean energy and manufacturing investments in the US, including over $265 billion in clean energy investments since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law. These investments are creating over 330,000 new jobs in the United States according to an outside group.
Economically distressed areas are poised to benefit the most from those investments. Over 99% of high-poverty counties in the United States are benefitting from an Investing in America project funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, or CHIPS and Science Act. According to Treasury Department analysis, since the Inflation Reduction Act passed, 75% of private sector clean energy investments have flowed to counties with lower than median household incomes, and clean energy investment in energy communities has doubled. And, the Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment in environmental justice in history.
Additionally, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to protect the critical investments that the Inflation Reduction Act is making in the domestic clean energy economy from unfair trade practices. In May, President Biden increased tariffs on $18 billion of Chinese imports to combat China’s artificially low-priced exports in strategic sectors such as electric vehicles, batteries, and solar. These actions protect American jobs, businesses, investments, and economic growth.
Lowering health care costs for millions of Americans
President Biden and Vice President Harris have made expanding access to high-quality, affordable health care and lowering prescription drug costs for American families a top priority. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, health care is more accessible and more affordable than ever before. In just the last two years:
The law enhanced the Affordable Care Act’s financial assistance that is available to consumers to purchase health insurance. Millions of Americans are saving, on average, about $800 a year on their health insurance plans, with more than 80 percent of consumers able to find health insurance for $10 or less a month. As a result, a record-breaking 21 million people signed up for ACA coverage in 2024. That’s 9 million more than when the President and Vice President took office, and more underserved communities are enrolling in coverage, with 1.7 million Black Americans and 3.4 million Latinos enrolled, a 95% and 103% increase, respectively, since 2020.
The Inflation Reduction Act capped insulin costs at $35 for a month’s supply and making recommended adult vaccines free. Four million Medicare beneficiaries are now saving on their monthly insulin costs, and over 10 million beneficiaries received a free vaccine, saving more than $400 million in out-of-pocket cost. Drug companies that increase prices faster than inflation now have to pay a rebate to Medicare—which is translating into lower out of pocket costs for seniors. Next year, out of pocket drug costs will be capped at $2,000 per year for Medicare beneficiaries, which is expected to save nearly 19 million seniors an average of $400 per year.
The Inflation Reduction Act – for the first time ever – gives Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. Just this week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new, lower prescription drug prices for all ten drugs selected for the first year of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. The new, lower prices, which go into effect in 2026, will save American taxpayers $6 billion and will save seniors and people with disabilities $1.5 billion in out of pocket costs in 2026 alone. These new prices cut the list cost for drugs that treat heart disease, blood clots, diabetes, cancer, and more by nearly 40% to 80%.
Lowering energy costs with the largest climate investment in history
The Inflation Reduction Act is tackling the climate crisis by advancing clean power, cutting pollution from buildings, transportation, and industry and supporting climate-smart agriculture and forestry. The law is accelerating our progress toward President Biden and Vice President Harris’ goal of cutting U.S. climate pollution by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030.
Two years after the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has made tremendous progress implementing the climate and clean energy provisions of this law quickly and effectively. Treasury guidance is now available for nearly all of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax provisions. On the grant, loan, and rebate side of the law, nearly two thirds of Inflation Reduction Act funding has been awarded. As an example of the Administration’s rapid progress on implementation, today the Environmental Protection Agency announced that all $27 billion in awards through their Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund are now obligated. $20 billion of these awards go toward a national clean energy financing network that will support tens of thousands of clean energy projects, reducing or avoiding millions of metric tons of carbon pollution annually over the next seven years. The other $7 billion in awards through the Solar for All program will save over $350 million each year on energy bills for over 900,000 low-income and disadvantaged households through residential solar.
In the two years since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law:
Clean energy projects are creating more than 330,000 jobs in nearly every state in the country, according to outside groups.
Companies have announced $265 billion in new clean energy investments in nearly every state in the nation. According to Treasury Department analysis, many of these investments are happening in underserved communities—since the IRA passed, 75% of private sector clean energy investments made since the Inflation Reduction Act passed have occurred in counties with lower than median household incomes, and clean energy investment in energy communities has doubled. Last week, Treasury and IRS released new data showing that in 2023, more than 3.4 million American families saved $8.4 billion from IRA consumer tax credits on home energy technologies. These tax credits can save families up to 30% off heat pumps, insulation, rooftop solar, and other clean energy technologies. New York and Wisconsin have now launched home energy rebate programs, with more states expected to launch later this summer and fall. Already, 22 states have submitted their applications to DOE to receive their full rebate funding. These rebate programs help low- and middle-income families afford cost-saving electric appliances and energy efficiency improvements by providing rebates up to $14,000 per household. In total, the IRA rebates programs are expected to save consumers up to $1 billion annually in energy costs and support an estimated 50,000 U.S. jobs in residential construction, manufacturing, and other sectors.
Since January 2024, more than 250,000 Americans have claimed the Inflation Reduction Act’s EV tax credits—either $7,500 off a qualified new electric vehicle, or up to $4,000 off a qualified used electric vehicle. In total, these taxpayers have saved about $1.5 billion and nearly all buyers claimed the incentive at the point of sale.
Making the tax system fairer and making the wealthy pay their fair share
The Inflation Reduction Act fully pays for these investments, and reduces the deficit over the long run, by cutting wasteful spending on special interests and making big corporations and the wealthy pay more of their fair share. After 55 of the biggest corporations in America paid $0 in federal income tax on $40 billion in profits in 2020, the Inflation Reduction Act requires billion-dollar corporations to pay at least 15 percent in tax. It also requires corporations to pay a 1 percent excise tax on stock buybacks, encouraging businesses to invest in their growth and productivity instead of funneling tax-preferred profits to foreign shareholders. By making large corporations pay more of their fair share, the IRA will raise around $300 billion over a decade.
The Inflation Reduction Act also makes a historic investment in modernizing the IRS, providing funding to better taxpayer experience, reduce fraud, and upgrade critical technology infrastructure. Thanks to these investments, the IRS has already:
Improved services for millions of taxpayers. This spring, the IRS answered 3 million more phone calls than in 2022, cut phone wait times to three minutes from 28 minutes, served 200,000 more taxpayers in person, and saved taxpayers 1.4 million hours on hold last filing season. It also expanded online services, enabling 94% of taxpayers to submit forms digitally instead of via mail if they so choose.
Successfully piloted Direct File, allowing taxpayers to easily file their taxes online and for free, directly with the IRS for the first time. Over 140,000 Americans successfully filed their taxes through Direct File this year, claiming over $90 million in refunds and saving an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees. Users said Direct File was easy and fast to use, with 90% rating their experience excellent or above average. Building on this success, the IRS has invited all 50 states and the District of Columbia to join Direct File starting in 2025.
Collected $1 billion from 1,500 millionaire tax cheats, launched enforcement action against 25,000 millionaires who have not filed a tax return since 2017, began audits on dozens of the largest corporations and partnerships, and cracked down on high-end tax evasion like deducting personal use of corporate jets as a business expense. At the same time, the IRS is adhering to Treasury Secretary Yellen’s commitment to not increase audit rates relative to current levels for small businesses and Americans making less than $400,000 a year.
Over the next decade, the Inflation Reduction Act’s investments will enable the IRS to further crack down on wealthy and corporate tax cheats and collect over $400 billion in additional revenue.
Going forward, the IRS is on track to implement additional improvements to taxpayer experience; provide additional in-person services in rural and underserved areas; redesign notices and forms to be less confusing; and expand online and mobile-friendly tools.
Investing in America to create jobs and expand opportunity
When President Biden thinks about climate change, he thinks about jobs. Two years into implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, it’s easy to see why.
Across the nation, the Inflation Reduction Act is catalyzing a clean energy and manufacturing boom. Since President Biden took office, the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has catalyzed nearly $900 billion in private sector investment commitments, including roughly $400 billion in clean energy across every state in the nation. That topline figure includes enough power generation to replace 40 Hoover Dams, the largest wind tower manufacturing facility in the world, the largest solar investment in US history.
Broader macroeconomic indicators also illustrate how, through tax credits and domestic content requirements within the law–we are successfully onshoring critical supply chains and encouraging a resurgence of domestic manufacturing. Real investment in manufacturing structures is at an all-time high—and has been for six quarters. Manufacturing’s contribution to GDP broke quarters for three consecutive quarters in 2023. And Americans have filed to open a record 300,000 new manufacturing businesses.
These investments are having real impacts on communities—particularly those that need it most. Public dollars are flowing disproportionately to disadvantaged and left behind communities: 99% of high-poverty counties have received funding from the infrastructure law, CHIPS Act, or Inflation Reduction Act, and non-metro communities have received nearly double the per capita funding of their urban counterparts. On the private sector side, analysis from the US Treasury tells a similar story. Since the IRA passed, 84% of announced clean investments have flowed to counties with college graduation rates below the national average, and the rate of investment in energy communities has more than doubled. Given these successes, it is no wonder that Republicans who voted against the bill are suddenly trying to take credit for it—and urging their leadership not to proceed with an unpopular repeal effort.
Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on the Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary
Since day one of our Administration, President Joe Biden and I have made it a priority to strengthen the middle class by lowering costs, creating jobs, and advancing opportunity. That is why we fought to enact our Inflation Reduction Act, historic legislation that I was proud to cast the tie-breaking vote on in the Senate. In the two years since President Biden signed it into law, this landmark bill has already delivered for American families.
This transformational legislation is reducing the cost of health care for millions of people in communities across our nation – from capping the price of insulin at $35 a month for seniors to capping out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year for Americans on Medicare, which is expected to save nearly 19 million seniors an average of $400 per year. Additionally, Medicare is now able to negotiate lower prescription prices for millions of Americans while saving taxpayers billions by paying rates 40% to 80% lower for expensive medications used to treat conditions such as blood clots, heart disease, and cancer.
Our Inflation Reduction Act is also the single largest climate investment in American history. While taking on the climate crisis and lowering utility bills for families, it is helping us to rebuild American manufacturing and drive American innovation – creating good-paying union jobs, furthering economic opportunity, and contributing to the nearly $900 billion of private-sector investment since President Biden and I took office.
As we mark this two-year anniversary, President Biden and I recommit to doing everything in our power to ensure that families throughout our country have the freedom to thrive
New negotiated drug prices are expected to save millions of seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs in the first year of the program alone. This fact sheet was provided by the White House:
For far too long, Americans have paid more for their prescription drugs than any developed nation. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is delivering on its promise to lower out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors and save money for Americans. That’s because Medicare has the power to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time in history thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law by President Biden with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Because Medicare is now able to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors and people with disabilities, American taxpayers are expected to save $6 billion on prescription drug costs, and people enrolled in Medicare are expected to save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2026 alone. President Biden and Vice President Harris took on Big Pharma and won, and now millions of seniors and others on Medicare will soon see their drug costs go down on some of the most common and expensive prescription drugs that treat heart disease, cancer, diabetes, blood clots, and more.
HHS Announces Negotiated Prices for Medicare Drugs
HHS has reached agreements with all participating manufacturers on new negotiated, lower drug prices for the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare drug price negotiation program. After manufacturers have steadily increased the list prices of all 10 of these drugs since they went on the market, these new prices will cut the list price of these drugs between 38 and 79 percent.
The new prices will go into effect for people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage in 2026:
Drug Name
Commonly Treated Conditions
Number of Medicare Enrollees Who Used the Drug in 2023
Drug List Price in 2023 for 30-day Supply
Negotiated Price for 2026 for 30-day Supply
Savings (%)
Eliquis
Prevention and treatment of blood clots
3,928,000
$521
$231
$290 (-56%)
Jardiance
Diabetes; Heart failure; Chronic kidney disease
1,883,000
$573
$197
$376 (-66%)
Xarelto
Prevention and treatment of blood clots; Reduction of risk for patients with coronary or peripheral artery disease
These ten drugs are among those with highest total spending in Medicare Part D. If the negotiated prices had been in effect during 2023, Medicare would have saved an estimated $6 billion. When the negotiated prices go into effect in 2026, people enrolled in Medicare Part D are estimated to save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs.
Millions of Part D enrollees that depend on these treatments to treat life-threatening conditions including diabetes, heart failure, and cancer are also expected to see lower out-of-pocket costs for these drugs. For example, a Medicare enrollee who takes Stelara for their arthritis and pays $3,459 on their drug today for a 30-day supply would pay only $1,174 in 2026. Many seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare who take these drugs will also benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act’s $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket spending, which will be fully in effect in 2025, saving 19 million beneficiaries an average of $400 per year, in addition to these savings from the negotiated drug prices.
More drugs will be selected each year as part of Medicare’s drug price negotiation program. Medicare will select up to 15 additional drugs covered under Part D for negotiation in 2025, up to an additional 15 Part B and D drugs in 2026, and up to 20 drugs every year after that.
Building on Progress Lowering Health Care Costs
Every day, millions of Americans are saving money on health care costs because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions.
People with Medicare are saving an average of $70 in out-of-pocket costs on vaccines like shingles and Tdap because President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act made recommended vaccines free for beneficiaries, including the 10.3 million enrollees who received a free vaccine in 2023.
All 3.4 million Medicare Part D enrollees who filled an insulin prescription in 2023 had their insulin costs capped at $35 per month, saving some seniors hundreds of dollars for a month’s supply.
Some seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries taking drugs covered under Part B for which manufacturers have hiked prices faster than inflation are saving up to $4,593 in lower coinsurance this quarter thanks to the new Medicare inflation rebates.
Starting this year, Part D enrollees no longer pay 5% co-insurance when they reach the catastrophic phase of their benefit and have their out-of-pocket drug costs capped at about $3,500. In just the first quarter of 2024, over 260,000 people benefited from this cap.
Millions of American are saving an average of about $800 per year on health insurance premiums because of savings from the American Rescue Plan that the Inflation Reduction Act extended, helping drive the nation’s uninsured rate to historic lows under the Biden-Harris Administration.
Check out the Biden-Harris Administration’s Savings Explorer to see how some of the Administration’s policies are helping Americans save money on annual expenses – from health care to junk fees, grocery costs and more.
Continuing to Lower Prescription Drug Costs
People with Medicare will continue to see their prescription drug costs go down as more provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act go into effect next year. Nearly 19 million seniors and other Part D beneficiaries are projected to save $400 per year on prescription drugs when the out-of-pocket cap drops to $2,000 in 2025, and 1.9 million enrollees with the highest drug costs will save an average of $2,500 per year. And the lower prices negotiated for the high-spend drugs announced today will go into effect in 2026.
The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 builds on this success by significantly increasing the pace of negotiation, bringing more drugs into negotiation sooner after they launch, expanding the $2,000 out-of-pocket prescription drug cost cap beyond Medicare and into the commercial market, and other steps to build on the Inflation Reduction Act drug provisions. The Budget also includes proposals to curb inflation in prescription drug prices and extends the $35 cost-sharing cap for monthly prescriptions of insulin to the commercial market to lower drug costs for all Americans.
Statement from President Joe Biden on Lower Prescription Drug Prices
For years, millions of Americans were forced to choose between paying for medications or putting food on the table, while Big Pharma blocked Medicare from being able to negotiate prices on behalf of seniors and people with disabilities. But we fought back – and won.
Today, for the first time in history, my Administration is announcing that Medicare has reached agreements on new, lower prices with the manufacturers of all 10 drugs selected for the first round of drug price negotiation. When these lower prices go into effect, people on Medicare will save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs for their prescription drugs and Medicare will save $6 billion in the first year alone. It’s a relief for the millions of seniors that take these drugs to treat everything from heart failure, blood clots, diabetes, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and more – and it’s a relief for American taxpayers.
This historic milestone is only possible because of the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed with the leadership of Democrats in Congress, and with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote in the Senate – without a single Republican voting for it. We showed that major progress can be made for the American people when we work together to take on special interests, even as Big Pharma continues to go to court to try to block lower prices for consumers. But the Vice President and I are not backing down. We will continue the fight to make sure all Americans can pay less for prescription drugs and to give more breathing room for American families.
Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on Lower Prescription Drug Prices
Every American should be able to access the health care they need no matter their income or wealth. That is why President Biden and I fought to lower the costs of health care with our Inflation Reduction Act, transformational legislation that I was proud to cast the tie-breaking vote on in the Senate. During the two years since President Biden signed this landmark bill into law, we have cut prescription drug costs, capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month, and lowered premiums for seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare – helping millions of families get the care they deserve.
Today, we are building on our work to lower costs and increase access to affordable prescription drugs by announcing that the Biden-Harris Administration has reached agreements with all participating manufacturers to lower prices for the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare price negotiation program – from those that treat cancer to those that treat diabetes, heart disease, and blood clots. Thanks to our historic work to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, millions of Americans who rely on these drugs will save on their out-of-pocket costs. While people enrolled in Medicare are expected to save $1.5 billion in 2026 alone, American taxpayers will also save an estimated $6 billion.
Today’s announcement will be lifechanging for so many of our loved ones across the nation, and we are not stopping here. Additional prescription drugs will be selected each year as part of our Medicare drug price negotiation program. This includes up to 15 additional drugs covered under Medicare Part D for negotiation in 2025, up to an additional 15 Part B and Part D drugs in 2026, and up to 20 drugs every year after that.
From my time as Attorney General of California and a U.S. Senator, I have consistently worked to lower the costs of prescription drugs and fought to protect patients. As Attorney General, I held Big Pharma accountable for their deceptive and illegal practices. The record-breaking settlements that I won – for the people – amounted to more than $7 billion against pharmaceutical companies for their unsafe and unfair tactics. President Biden and I will never stop fighting for the health, wellbeing, and financial stability of the American people.
Several organizations have reacted to Nassau County Legislature Republican supermajority passing and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signing a law banning the wearing of masks in public under penalty of $1000 fine and/or one year in prison. To put the new law into some context, Blakeman, who has served as Trump’s campaign lead in the county, also created an armed private militia that he could call up whenever he decides there is an emergency, and has passed a law banning transgender athletes from playing on women’s and girls’ teams. He also took under his own control $15 million in tourism promotion budgets and has reportedly raised $1 million from donors while not yet declaring a run for reelection: – Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
From the Board of the Long Island Progressive Coalition
Long Island Progressive Coalition stands in solidarity with and joins the countless organizations across Long Island in condemning the Mask Transparency Act which was passed by the Nassau County Legislature and just signed into law by County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
We are appalled that the Republican majority brought this egregious bill to the floor. Although the Democratic minority contested the legislation during the hearing, their first decision to craft alternative legislation (still implementing some form of mask ban) and ultimately to abstain, does nothing for county residents. We condemn the county for the intimidation tactic of establishing an unwarranted large police presence at the hearing for this legislation.
This law which criminalizes the wearing of face coverings including protective masks in public places, infringes upon our Constitutional rights and creates unsafe conditions for many marginalized people, including people of color and those with health conditions and disabilities.
The stated purpose of this law—to curb hate crimes—is a farce and will not stop or deter those with ill intent. The true purpose of this act is to instill fear in those who lawfully exercise their right to protest, particularly those who have rallied in support of the Palestinian people as the Israeli government subjects them to genocide. Health concerns and fear of doxxing are valid and legitimate reasons to mask at protests, as well as in any other public space. Individuals who are not otherwise engaged in illegal conduct should not have to explain to law enforcement their reasons for masking. Nor should the police be given the power to determine whether an individual’s choice to wear a mask falls into one of the narrow exceptions provided by the statute, which undoubtedly will have a disproportionate impact upon black and brown communities that are already subject to over-policing and prosecution.
Far from achieving a legitimate public safety objective, this legislation instead creates a public health hazard, especially in the midst of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic and a time when other epidemics are on the rise throughout the world, a time when many responsible people are choosing to mask to protect themselves and others.
Long Island Progressive Coalition will always stand up for the dignity and safety of all of us. We call on the Attorney General of the State of New York to take Nassau County to court to strike down this draconian law and prohibit its enforcement.
Nassau Residents for Good Government (NRGG) Statement:
A bill signing ceremony for Nassau’s newly-passed anti-masking legislation is scheduled for August 14, 2025 at 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola. The legislation purports to address antisemitism. The bill is so poorly written that constitutional law experts expect it to be immediately overturned. The nonpartisan group Nassau Residents for Good Government* (NRGG) has decried the legislation as smokescreen antisemitism – i.e., using antisemitism for political gain.
There’s no question that nationally, bad actors on the left and right are fueling antisemitism and that it needs to be addressed. Will anti-masking legislation help? NRGG has not taken a position on the efficacy of mask banning to fight antisemitism. But from a good government perspective, legislation that will get overturned in court because it’s sloppily crafted, whatever its purported justification, is an outrage. Clearly, the Legislative majority could have drafted legislation that was not unconstitutionally vague and overbroad. Indeed, it could have adopted the legislation proposed by the minority, which specifically penalized masking while committing a crime and avoided criminalizing intent. As crafted, the legislation asks police officers to, essentially, read people’s minds to determine their “intent” in wearing a mask, which could be a recipe for abuse of power. Worse, the legislation gives unfettered discretion to law enforcement, which raises concerns it could be used to target particular groups or ethnicities. Indeed, minority leaders are concerned it could lead to hate and discrimination towards groups who wear masks due to health, cultural, and religious reasons.
Nassau residents will not be protected by this legislation. It will not be in any way effective in combating antisemitism. In advancing a bill that they know will not hold up in court, it appears that the purpose of the mask ban legislation is purely to score political points. Politicians get to announce that they are fighting antisemitism, while peddling sham legislation that won’t actually fight antisemitism. The only result will be Nassau residents’ tax dollars being used to pay politically-connected law firms tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in an ultimately-losing fight to defend this badly written legislation.
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Long Island stated: “While it remains important to take meaningful action at all levels of government to dismantle antisemitism, we wholeheartedly reject the Nassau County mask ban legislation as a good faith effort to promote Jewish safety. Banning masks endangers many communities, including Jewish people, disabled people, queer and trans people, Black and brown folks, Asians, and people at the intersection of these identities. We denounce this attempt to strip people of their rights in the false name of Jewish safety. Regardless of the identities of the legislators supporting this legislation, a mask ban makes Jewish Long Islanders less safe by restricting our access and our neighbors’ access to taking protective measures against COVID-19.”
It’s time our politicians stop fueling antisemitism to score political points – and that includes our Jewish elected officials. Nassau residents deserve better.
The Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to take on corporate tricks and scams like excessive paperwork, long wait times, and more that pad the profits of big business at the expense of everyday Americans’ time and money. This fact sheet was provided by the White House.
President Biden and Vice President Harris are launching “Time Is Money,” a new government-wide effort to crack down on all the ways that corporations—through excessive paperwork, hold times, and general aggravation—add unnecessary headaches and hassles to people’s days and degrade their quality of life.
Americans are tired of being played for suckers, and President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to addressing the pain points they face in their everyday lives. The Administration is already cracking down on junk fees—those hidden costs and surcharges in everything from travel to banking services—that hit people in their pocketbooks. Now the Biden-Harris Administration is taking on the corporate practice of giving people the run around, wasting their precious time and money.
Americans know these practices well: it’s being forced to wait on hold just to get the refund we’re owed; the hoops and hurdles to cancel a gym membership or subscription; the unnecessary complications of dealing with health insurance companies; the requirements to do in-person or by mail what could easily be done with a couple of clicks online; and confusing, lengthy, or manipulative forms that take unnecessary time and effort.
These hassles don’t just happen by accident. Companies often deliberately design their business processes to be time-consuming or otherwise burdensome for consumers, in order to deter them from getting a rebate or refund they are due or canceling a subscription or membership they no longer want—all with the goal of maximizing profits.
In addition to robbing hardworking families of their valuable time and adding frustration to our daily lives, these hassles cost us money. When, after endless hours on hold or piles of incomprehensible paperwork, we give up pursuing a service, rebate or refund we’re due, we take a hit to our pocketbooks, and companies profit
Today and in the coming months, the Biden-Harris Administration will take wide-ranging action to crack down on these unfair practices and save Americans time and money. Key actions include:
Making it easier to cancel subscriptions and memberships. Businesses often trick consumers into paying for subscriptions—on everything from gym memberships to newspapers to cosmetics—that they no longer want or didn’t sign up for in the first place. Consumers shouldn’t have to navigate a maze just to cancel unwanted subscriptions and recurring payments. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a rule that, if finalized as proposed, would require companies to make it as easy to cancel a subscription or service as it was to sign up for one. The agency is currently reviewing public comments about its proposal. And today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is initiating an inquiry into whether to extend similar requirements to companies in the communications industry.
Ending airline runarounds by requiring automatic cash refunds. The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new automatic refunds rule requires airlines to pay you back the airfare when your flight is canceled or significantly changed for any reason, and you are not offered, or choose not to accept, alternatives such as rebooking. This rule prevents airlines from switching up their policies to make it hard to get your money back when they don’t deliver and requires them to tell you when you’re owed a refund. DOT’s rule also puts an end to airline runarounds by requiring refunds to be automatic, prompt, in the original form of payment, and for the full amount paid. No more jumping through hoops or getting stuck with expiring flight credits.
Allowing you to submit health claims online. Health coverage can be full of headaches and hassles, as many plans and insurance companies make it unnecessarily difficult to access information or send in claims. For example, many of the largest plans still require some customers to print out and either scan or physically mail health claims forms, and people seeking help can encounter inaccurate or confusing websites, extended wait times, or narrow call center hours that force them to step away from work to talk to an agent. Today, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Becerra and Department of Labor (DOL) Acting Secretary Su are calling on [insert link to letter] health insurance companies and group health plans to take concrete actions to save people time and money when interacting with their health coverage, and in the coming months will identify additional opportunities to improve consumers’ interactions with the health care system. In addition, the Office of Personnel Management plans to require Federal Employees Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits plans, covering eight million Americans, to make it easier to submit out of network claims online, provide clear information about what health plan providers are in-network, and make it easier to find information on how to appeal claim denials.
Cracking down on customer service “doom loops.” Too often customers seeking assistance from a real person are instead sent through a maze of menu options and automated recordings, wasting their time and failing to get the support they need. In a recent survey, respondents said that being forced to listen to long messages before being permitted to speak to a live representative was their top customer service complaint. To tackle these “doom loops,” the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will initiate a rulemaking process that would require companies under its jurisdiction to let customers talk to a human by pressing a single button. The FCC will launch an inquiry into considering similar requirements for phone, broadband, and cable companies. HHS and DOL will similarly call on health plan providers to make it easier to talk to a customer service agent.
Ensuring accountability for companies that provide bad service. People shopping for products or services should be able to rely on customer reviews to assess which companies will provide streamlined service and not waste their time. The FTC has proposed a rule that, if finalized as proposed, would stop marketers from using illicit review and endorsement practices such as using fake reviews, suppressing honest negative reviews, and paying for positive reviews, which deceive consumers looking for real feedback on a product or service and undercut honest businesses.
Taking on the limitations and shortcomings of customer service chatbots. While chatbots can be useful for answering basic questions, they often have limited ability to solve more complex problems and disputes. Instead, chatbots frequently provide inaccurate information and give the run-around to customers seeking a real person. The CFPB is planning to issue rules or guidance to crack down on ineffective and time-wasting chatbots used by banks and other financial institutions in lieu of customer service. The CFPB will identify when the use of automated chatbots or automated artificial intelligence voice recordings is unlawful, including in situations in which customers believe they are speaking with a human being.
Helping streamline parent communication with schools. Between communicating with teachers, viewing school policies, completing forms and permission slips, and more, school processes, platforms, and paperwork can sometimes be a hassle for families that already have a lot on their plates. The Department of Education will issue new guidance to schools on how they can help make these processes less time-consuming for parents to handle, and to build effective family engagement through two-way communications. This will include new resources for schools to address time-wasting technology and offer more streamlined processes for engaging and communicating with parents.
What else should we take on? The White House is calling for Americans to share their ideas for how federal action can give them their time back. Interested parties can submit their ideas and comments at this portal, and may consider the following principles:
Companies should make it as easy to do things that you want to do as it is to do things they want to do.
It should be as easy cancel a subscription or membership as it is to enroll.
It should be as easy to obtain rebates and refunds as it was to purchase, with no needlessly cumbersome paperwork.
Refunds and rebates should be paid as quickly as companies take funds from your credit card or bank account.
Americans should be able receive customer service on their terms and their own time without significant hassle or hardship.
If you want to talk to a human, you should be able to talk to a human at convenient times and without interminable waits.
If you prefer to interact electronically – such as by text, email, or online portal – there should be simple and easily identified ways to do so securely.
Technology – such as chatbots – should be used to enhance customer service with speedy response times, not used to shirk on basic responsibilities, such as receiving a refund.
Americans should not be subject to confusing, manipulative, or deceptive practices online.
If you want to understand what you must do to obtain a good or service, the requirements should be clear and transparent.
You should not be subject to hidden fees or to requirements that are obscured through confusing language and small print.
Time Is Money builds on landmark efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to improve customer service for people accessing government programs and services. In December 2021 the President signed an Executive Order, Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government, directing federal agencies to streamline services and simplify customer experiences.
Already, agencies are making progress: the State Department launched a public beta to renew your passport online; all 50 states have been invited to offer the Internal Revenue Service’s Direct File tool, an easy, secure, and—most importantly—free way for Americans to file their federal taxes; HHS has taken steps to allow more than 5 million Americans to automatically renew their health coverage without filling out paperwork, saving over 2 million hours in estimated processing time; and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has reduced the amount of time the public spends accessing DHS services per year by 21 million hours in fiscal year 2023, and is targeting reduction of 10 million more hours per year in fiscal year 2024. For more examples of progress and to learn more information about how agencies across the federal government are improving customer experience and reducing burden, visit performance.gov/cx and the Burden Reduction Initiative website
Actions include reforms to save developers time and money on federal projects and funds to encourage state and local governments to reduce barriers to affordable housing
The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing major new actions to build on progress in addressing the affordable housing crisis and further implement its Housing Supply Action Plan. Actions include reforms to save developers time and money on federal projects and funds to encourage state and local governments to reduce barriers to affordable housing. This fact sheet is provided by the White House:
Since launching its all-of-government Housing Supply Action Plan, the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed to using every available tool to build more housing and lower costs. President Biden and Vice President Harris have put building more homes at the center of their economic agenda because rents are lower and homes are more affordable when we build more housing. After decades of under-investment in housing, we are finally seeing progress under President Biden and Vice President Harris: more units are under construction than at any time in over 50 years, and the rate of new housing starts is up 17 percent compared to the last Administration. The Biden-Harris Housing Plan would build over 2 million new homes to further increase supply and lower housing costs for Americans.
Building rental units and homes faster means lower costs for consumers: not only will more units get to the market faster, but increasing the speed of construction lowers building costs. The President and Vice President have been laser-focused on lowering housing costs for renters and homeowners alike.
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing major new actions to build on that progress and further implement its Housing Supply Action Plan:
Making funding available to help communities break down barriers to housing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is announcing the availability of $100 million through its landmark Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) program, which provides grants to communities to identify and remove barriers to affordable housing production and preservation. Grantees may use awards to further develop, evaluate, and implement housing policy plans, improve housing strategies, and facilitate affordable housing production and preservation. In June, Vice President Harris announced the first-ever grantees of the program, which provided $85 million to more than 20 cities and states with funding to identify and overcome barriers to building more affordable housing.
Providing interest rate predictability to spur housing development. The Department of the Treasury and HUD are announcing a major improvement to the Federal Financing Bank (FFB) Multifamily Risk Sharing Program that would provide greater interest rate predictability for state and local housing finance agencies that finance housing projects through the FFB. This program already dramatically reduces costs for state and local housing finance agencies by allowing them to borrow funds at just above the rate at which the US government borrows. This new action will expand the reach of the Risk Sharing program, especially for new construction projects, by providing housing finance agencies with greater certainty about the interest rate that they will face after the construction period ends, making more housing developments financially viable. Treasury and HUD indefinitely extended the Risk Sharing Program earlier this year, after the previous Administration allowed it to lapse. The program has already supported more than 16,000 units since restarting in 2021 and is expected to help create or preserve tens-of-thousands of units over the next decade.
Streamlining requirements for transit-oriented development projects. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is announcing new guidance to streamline and clarify requirements for closing DOT loans for residential development near transit, including commercial-to-residential conversions. New guidance FAQs , issued by the Build America Bureau, clarify that Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) and Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loans used for conversion projects may be eligible for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that would exempt applicable projects from more detailed environmental analysis and save time and money, as long as those projects do not expand the footprint of the building being converted or modify other facilities. The guidance further clarifies that TIFIA loans can be used to refinance existing debt as part of building conversion or expansion projects, and clarifies that TIFIA and RRIF loans can serve as permanent, take-out financing for construction loans consistent with statutory requirements, as long as federal requirements are met. When DOT first announced these loan programs could be used to finance housing near transit, the estimated time between final Letter of Interest and the loan close was up to 18 months. With these changes, that time can now be under a year as long as all other statutory requirements are met. The FAQs also feature additional information on federal requirements, borrower eligibility, market studies, and the Bureau’s underwriting process, including typical terms and conditions for TIFIA and RRIF loans. On August 27, the Bureau will host an introductory webinar on the credit review process for TOD loans. These efforts build on federal actions to make commercial to residential projects financially viable. Last fall, the White House released a Commercial to Residential Federal Resources Guidebook with over 20 federal programs across six federal agencies that can be used to support zero emissions climate-resilient conversions.
Accelerating historic preservation reviews for federal housing projects. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) proposed a new tool that would accelerate historic preservation reviews for millions of federally-funded, licensed, or owned housing units across the country. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires that federal agencies take into account how any proposed actions will affect historic properties and seek ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any adverse effects as a result of the project. If finalized, the tool would exempt several activities, including interior repairs and most installation of rooftop solar panels, from further Section 106 review, and significantly reduce the review process for applicable projects, which would lower development costs and more efficiently deliver affordable, accessible, energy-efficient, and hazard-free housing to people who need it. In the same program comment, ACHP will also be accelerating historic preservation reviews for activities related to climate-friendly transportation and climate-smart buildings, creating accessible, climate-resilient, and connected communities.
Challenging communities to use Section 108 to build housing. HUD is launching a Legacy Challenge — encouraging communities that directly receive Community Development Block Grants to leverage low-cost, low interest loans for transformative housing investments. Up to $250 million in loan financing will be made available through the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program for adaptive reuse, commercial-to-residential conversions, rehabilitation of existing housing, housing enabling infrastructure such as water and sewer line installation or upgrades, and revolving loan pools to support local development. For communities that express interest by November 1, 2024, HUD will offer additional flexibilities for these loans including certain repayment flexibilities and waivers to streamline program requirements. HUD will invite applicants to participate in a technical assistance cohort and provide tools to support application development.
Enabling more housing types to be built under the HUD Code. HUD anticipates finalizing a rule to update its Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards. Manufactured housing provides an essential path to increasing overall housing supply and offers significant savings over site-built housing. The HUD Code creates economies of scale for manufacturers, resulting in significantly lower costs for buyers. In addition to making changes that will increase the quality, energy efficiency, and resilience of manufactured homes, the new rule, if finalized, would enable duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes to be built under the HUD Code for the first time, extending the cost-saving benefits of manufactured housing to denser urban and suburban infill contexts.
Expediting housing permitting. The Council of Economic Advisers analyzed the importance of state and local government actions to permit and approve new developments more quickly, including examples from HUD’s PRO Housing grants. Permitting requirements contribute to the nationwide housing shortage, leading many would-be deals to not be financially viable or be scaled down, and driving up the cost of housing. Reforms to streamline permitting processes can lead to more housing being built more quickly, which will lower housing costs.
Today’s actions build on dozens of executive actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration to improve the federal programs to support the construction and preservation of affordable housing. As part of the Housing Supply Action Plan, the Administration simplified the process to use American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for housing, facilitating nearly $20 billion committed for housing projects, including over $7.5 billion to construct, preserve, or stabilize tens of thousands of units; improved signature federal supply programs like the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and HOME Investment Partnerships program; made it easier to repurpose suitable federal land for affordable housing, while calling on state and local governments to do the same with land they own; launched a new effort to promote the conversion of underutilized commercial property into housing, including housing near transit; and made hundreds of billions of dollars available through the Inflation Reduction Act to cut energy costs and emissions in housing through energy efficiency, electrification, clean energy and climate resiliency.
The White House provided this fact sheet on the ways the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to lower costs – and counter the impacts of inflation – for families, while highlighting the contrast with Republican policies, which if given power, would reverse, repeal the progress.
The Trump/MAGA campaign delights in attacking Vice President Kamala Harris for anything they charge went wrong in the last four years (falsely attacking her as the Border Czar and deflecting blame for sabotaging passage of the Bipartisan Border Security bill), especially inflating levels of inflation and lying about economic growth. But if she is blamed for what they say went wrong, shouldn’t the Vice President also take credit for what the administration is doing so well to improve lives for ordinary Americans and counter the impacts of inflation, price-gouging and profit-taking by corporations? Indeed, as Vice President, she has the blueprint to continue such policies in her administration and not be stuck starting from scratch.—Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
“My plan is to lower everyday costs for hardworking families and lower the deficit by asking large corporations and the wealthiest Americans to not engage in price gouging and to pay their fair share in taxes.” — President Biden
President Biden and Vice President Harris know that prices are too high and too many families are being squeezed by the cost of living. Their actions are lowering costs in key areas—from health insurance premiums and prescription drug prices to utility bills, groceries, and gas. And their Administration is fighting to further lower costs by taking on price gouging by big corporations making record profits and special interests like Big Pharma that are charging prices two or three times higher than in other countries—while successfully calling on grocery chains to lower grocery prices.
There is more to do. The President and Vice President will keep fighting for hardworking families with an agenda to lower housing and child care costs, and give tax relief to working Americans and middle-class families while making the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share.
While Congressional Republicans side with special interests and billionaires to keep prices and profits high, the Biden-Harris Administration will continue to take action to lower costs for the American people.
President Biden and Vice President Harris’s lowering costs agenda, and Congressional Republicans’ plan to raise costs:
Lowering Health Care Costs President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting for families who are struggling with health care costs and pharmaceutical prices that are two to three times higher than in other countries. They are taking historic action to lower costs—taking on Big Pharma to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, capping the cost of insulin and prescription drugs for seniors, and building on the Affordable Care Act to lower health insurance premiums by about $800 per year for millions of Americans. Their plan will extend and expand those actions to cap costs for all Americans. Congressional Republicans voted against these actions to lower health care costs—their plan would increase prices for millions of families and cut Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.
Biden-Harris Administration Actions:
Lowering health insurance premiums by an average of about $800 per year for millions of Americans by expanding the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits—helping an additional 900,000 Hispanic Americans, 430,000 Black Americans, and 100,000 Asian Americans get health insurance.
Capping prescription drug costs at $2,000 per year for 54 million seniors, people with disabilities, and other Medicare beneficiaries starting in 2025, saving 19 million households an average of $400 per year.
Giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, which could lower costs for drugs used by up to 9 million seniors and people with disabilities in 2026 alone.
Lowering prescription drug prices by requiring companies to pay rebates if they raise prices faster than the rate of inflation—which is already saving up to 750,000 Medicare beneficiaries between $1 and $3,575 per day.
Providing free vaccines for Medicare beneficiaries, including the shingles vaccine—saving seniors and people with disabilities an average of $70 per year.
Cap insulin costs at $35 per month for all Americans, which would save nearly $1,000 per year for the millions of Americans not on Medicare that use insulin.
Cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 per year for all Americans.
Address price gouging by Big Pharma by proposing a new march-in framework, which would help ensure that taxpayer-funded drugs are reasonably accessible to the public, including at a reasonable price.
Reduce the burden of medical debt by proposing that it be excluded from credit reports, which would raise credit scores for 15 million Americans by an average of 20 points and lead to the approval of approximately 22,000 additional mortgages every year.
President Biden and Vice President Harris know the burden that rising utility bills place on families. They are taking action to lower energy costs with affordable clean energy and energy efficient appliances, and to lower cable and satellite TV bills by banning hidden junk fees. Congressional Republicans voted with Big Oil to keep utility bills and gas prices high.
Biden-Harris Administration Actions:
Lowering utility bills an average of $500 per year by lowering the cost of energy-saving home improvements through up front tax credits of up to $3,200 and direct consumer rebates of up to $14,000 for heat pumps, doors, windows, and insulation.
Lowering utility bills by nearly $400 per year by increasing access to solar energy through tax credits of up to 30% of the cost of rooftop solar and battery storage and expanded access to residential community solar.
Saving households $170-220 per year on their electricity bills and other goods and services over the next decade by investing in affordable clean energy.
Lowering cable and satellite TV bills by requiring providers to give consumers the all-in price up front.
Lowered internet bills by $30–75 per month for over 23 million households, saving them more than $360 a year.
The Biden-Harris Administration Plan:
Ban early termination feesfor TV, phone, and internet service, which can cost more than $200.
President Biden and Vice President Harris know prices at the pump and travel costs are too high. They are taking action to lower gas prices now through record energy production and strategic releases of oil and gasoline, and to lower gas prices for the long term and expand access to affordable clean vehicles. They’re also taking on airlines’ hidden junk fees that increase the cost of flights. Congressional Republicans voted against these actions and with special interests to keep gas prices and travel costs high.
Biden-Harris Administration Actions:
Lowering gas prices this summer with the sale of 1 million barrels of gasoline from the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve ahead of the Fourth of July.
Lowering gas prices by up to 25 cents per gallon in certain markets, particularly in the Midwest, by making E15 gasoline available in the summer.
Lowered gas prices in 2022 by as much as 40 cents per gallon with historic, coordinated releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve—saving a household with two cars as much as $250 on gas after Putin’s war against Ukraine caused prices to spike.
Lowering fuel costs by an average of $700 a year and maintenance costs by $500 a year by lowering the cost of clean vehicles through tax credits available at purchase of up to $7,500 for new clean vehicles and up to $4,000 for used clean vehicles, as well as up to $1,000 for charger installation.
Learn how you can save on fuel costs and clean vehicles at Energy.gov/Save.
Cracking down on anticompetitive practices by oil executives that can raise prices at the pump.
Banning surprise airline junk fees by requiring upfront disclosure of baggage, change, and cancellation fees, saving Americans over half a billion dollars a year.
Requiring airlines provide automatic cash refunds for canceled or significantly changed flights, delayed baggage, and when services like WiFi are unavailable.
Securing commitments from airlines to guarantee hotels and meals when they are at fault for flight delays or cancellations.
Learn whether your airline offers these benefits at FlightRights.gov.
The Biden-Harris Administration Plan:
Ban family seating fees to guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly, saving a family of four about $200 per roundtrip flight—building on commitments the Administration secured from four major airlines.
Learn whether your airline guarantees family seating at FlightRights.gov.
Require airlines cover expenses such as meals, hotels, and rebooking and provide additional compensation when they are responsible for delays or cancellations.
Partner with 18 state attorneys general to enforce against unfair airline practices that can raise ticket prices or shortchange passengers.
The Republican Plan to Increase Costs:
Congressional Republicans sided with Big Oil to vote against lowering gas prices and with special interests to try to keep travel costs high.
Lowering Housing Costs
President Biden and Vice President Harris know housing costs are too high, and they are fighting to lower them. Their Administration is cutting mortgage insurance premiums and expanding rental assistance, and they are calling on Congress to help build more homes and lower costs for homebuyers and renters. Their plan will give more Americans a chance at the American Dream. Congressional Republicans voted to raise housing prices by cutting programs that increase affordable housing and provide assistance to renters.
Providing rental assistance to more than 5 million households, including an additional 100,000 low-income families.
Capping rent increases in roughly 2 million apartments financed by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), saving nearly 1 million households hundreds of dollars in rent in 2024.
Congressional Republicans want to raise housing costs, including repealing investments to increase affordable housing and keep homeowners and renters in their homes, and have repeatedlyproposed increasing housing costs by cutting funding for rental assistance, to build more homes, and to lower mortgage costs. Senate Republicans oppose a bill that passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support that would help build 200,000 affordable homes.
Lowering Grocery Costs
President Biden and Vice President Harris know grocery prices are too high. They called on grocery chains making record profits to lower their prices, and appreciate that some have answered the call. Their Administration is taking action to lower grocery costs—increasing food assistance for low-income families; strengthening supply chains to lower food prices; and cracking down on price gouging and promoting competition in the agriculture industry. Congressional Republicans want to put a large tax on food imports and have voted to increase grocery costs by cutting food assistance for low-income families, new moms, and seniors.
Biden-Harris Administration Actions:
Providing the typical low-income family of four about $2,000 more for groceries each year by improving SNAP—lifting about 3 million people out of poverty, including 400,000 Black children, 350,000 Hispanic children, and 18,000 Asian American children—and launching Summer EBT for nearly 21 million children.
If you’re a farmer, submit complaints about antitrust violations at FarmerFairness.gov.
The Republican Plan to Increase Costs:
Congressional Republicans have voted to keep grocery costs high by cutting food assistance for low-income families, new parents, and babies; slashing Meals on Wheels for seniors; and siding with Big Ag to try to block actions to increase competition in agriculture. Congressional Republicans are also calling for huge taxes on food imports, including a 10% across-the-board tax on all imports that would raise costs for families by an average of $1,500 per year.
Lowering Child Care and Education Costs
President Biden and Vice President Harris know child care and education is unaffordable for many families. They are fighting to lower these costs by capping child care costs for low-income families, expanding access to workforce training, and delivering on student debt relief. Their plan lowers child care costs to no more than $10 a day for most Americans, expands free universal preschool, and lowers the cost of college. Congressional Republicans have voted to raise child care and education costs by cutting Head Start and Pre-K programs, cutting Pell Grants, and blocking student debt relief.
Biden-Harris Administration Actions:
Lowering child care costs for more than 100,000 lower-income families by capping costs at no more than 7% of their income, saving an average of $2,400 a year.
Learn if you are eligible for child care assistance at Benefits.gov.
Saved families $1,250 per child on child care by helping more than 225,000 child care providers that serve as many as 10 million children stay open during the pandemic.
Learn how you may be able to lower student loan payments at StudentAid.gov/SAVE.
Saved 40 million working families with children an average of $2,600 per year by expanding the Child Tax Credit in 2021—which cut child poverty nearly in half, lifting 1.2 million Hispanic children, 800,000 Black children, and 100,000 Asian American children out of poverty.
Save families with children an average of $2,600 per year by restoring the expanded Child Tax Credit to help families afford everyday costs and lift 3 million children out of poverty.
Lower child care costs with a new program to guarantee affordable, high-quality child care for 16 million children in families making up to $200,000 per year, with most families paying no more than $10 a day and the average family saving $7,200 a year.
Save families of 4 million children $13,000 a year with free, universal preschool and Head Start for all four-year-olds and a path to expand preschool to three-year-olds.
Lower college costs by remaining on a path to double the maximum Pell Grant to $13,000 per year by 2029—with an increase of $750 next school year alone.
Expand student debt relief to over 30 million Americans, including those with runaway interest, who are eligible for forgiveness but not enrolled, who entered repayment over 20 years ago, or who attended programs that failed to provide sufficient value.
Lowering Credit Card, Banking, and Other Financial Costs
President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting Big Banks to lower the costs of using credit cards, bank services, and other financial costs. They are cutting credit card late fees from $32 to $8, overdraft fees from $35 to as low as $3, and taking on other hidden junk feesto save Americans $20 billion per year. Congressional Republicans have sided with Big Banks on Wall Street and Park Avenue to try to protect these junk fees that burden hardworking families.
Biden-Harris Administration Actions:
Cutting credit card late fees from $32 to $8, saving the 45 million Americans that pay these fees an average of $220 per year.
Saving taxpayers an average of $150 peryear with Direct File—a new, free tax filing option that has already saved filers millions of dollars in its Pilot Program and is now being expanded across the country.
The Republican Plan to Increase Costs:Congressional Republicans sided with Big Banks and other special interests to try to block actions to ban junk fees—including voting to keep credit card late fees high—and Republican officials have joined big corporations to try to overturn these consumer protections in court.
As Trump, Vance and the Republicans continue to lie about crime rates rising under the Biden-Harris Administration, the FBI and police officials released figures that show record declines, especially in violent crime which soared during Trump’s failed administration.
Last year, violent crimefell to a near 50-year low as murder rates fell 13% nationally and plummeted in major cities. This trend is continuing in 2024, with violent crime and the murder rate on track for the sharpest decrease in history.
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia has seen violent crime drop in 2024; Pittsburgh has seen rape and assault drop in 2024
The decline in crime due to the actions of the Biden-Harris Administration and its investments in community policing is being felt throughout the country.
President Joe Biden stated, “When Vice President Harris and I took office, our nation had just seen the largest increase in murders ever recorded during the previous Administration. Immediately, we got to work to make communities safer. Today, new data confirms that our efforts are working and violent crime is at a 50-year low. An independent organization of police chiefs from across our nation’s biggest cities released data showing that violent crime fell across every category in the first half of 2024. Homicides are down 17% – building on the largest-ever decline in the homicide rate nationally last year.
“This did not happen by accident. Our American Rescue Plan – opposed by every Republican in Congress – delivered $15 billion to cities and states to invest in public safety and violence prevention, keeping cops on the beat while working with community leaders to interrupt and prevent crime. I also signed the most significant gun violence legislation in nearly 30 years which is keeping guns out of dangerous hands by expanding background checks and helping states implement “red flag” laws.
“Americans are safer today than when Vice President Harris and I took office. We can’t stop now. That’s why I will continue to urge Congress to fund 100,000 additional police officers and crime prevention and community violence intervention programs, and make commonsense gun safety reforms such as a ban on assault weapons.”
Meanwhile, it is Trump who has demonstrated his willingness to defund police. As president, Trump proposed a $400 million cut to local law enforcement funding and oversaw the largest single-year spike in the murder rate in more than a century. Trump has demanded the defunding of federal law enforcement, while proposing using the FBI and Justice Department to go after his political enemies. His vice presidential pick JD Vance said, “I hate the police.” His Republican allies in Congress are calling to defund the Department of Justice, the FBI, the CIA, cut funding for cybersecurity
U.S. News & World Report Ranked Counties in Long Island, Hudson Valley and New York City Among the Top 25 Safest in America
Crime in New York State Is Down 6% Year over Year
Governor Hochul Has Invested over $800 Million in Crime-Fighting Initiatives
In New York State, for example, where Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, trying to position himself for elevation in Republican ranks fear-mongers on crime rates), Governor Kathy Hochul today highlighted ongoing declines in statewide crime as a new independent report ranked New York communities among the safest in the nation based on violent crime rates, emergency services and other key metrics. Eight counties across New York State, including counties in Long Island, the Hudson Valley and New York City, were recognized in the U.S. News & World Report ranking of“The Top 25 Safest Communities in America” – more than any other state in the nation. Four counties were among the top ten, and one county – Nassau – was ranked the safest in the nation.
“Public safety is my top priority and I’ve been laser-focused on fighting crime from the moment I took office,”Governor Hochul said. “Our approach is working, as murders, shootings, violent crime and property crime have declined statewide. But make no mistake: our work is not over, and I’ll continue working to ensure our state is safer for all.”
New York’s nation-leading performance in this new ranking reflects a broad and ongoing decline in crime. Statewide crime is down 6% year over year, according to data from both the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and NYPD CompStat.
The U.S. News & World Report analysis recognized the following counties among the Top 25 Safest in America – with many of them seeing significant year-over-year declines in crime for the first half of 2024:
Long Island: Nassau – 18% decline; Suffolk – 13% decline
Hudson Valley: Rockland – 26% decline; Westchester – 8% decline; Putnam – 15% decline in 2023 (2024 data pending)
New York City: Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island – combined 3.5% decline
As New York continues to make nation-leading progress in tackling crime, Governor Hochul has also continued to make historic investments in new crime-fighting initiatives statewide, amounting to more than $800 million in investments in tested programs and initiatives.
The Governor’s investments also include nationally recognized initiatives administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which provides funding, training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations in communities hardest hit by gun violence and violent crime:
Nearly $36 million for theGun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative. Through GIVE, DCJS helps 28 police departments in 21 counties implement evidence-based strategies that have proven to be successful at reducing gun violence, including Problem-Oriented Policing, Hot-Spots Policing, Focused Deterrence/Group Violence Intervention, Street Outreach, and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design. These strategies focus on the few people and places that are responsible for most of the violence and engage the broader community to build trust. GIVE also funds district attorneys’ offices, probation departments, and sheriffs’ offices in those counties.
$21 million for theSNUG Street Outreach program, which uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by violence. Community-based organizations and hospitals operate the program in 14 communities and employ nearly 200 outreach workers, social workers and case managers. Outreach workers are credible messengers who have lost loved ones to violence or have prior justice system involvement. They respond to shootings to prevent retaliation, detect conflicts, and resolve them peacefully before they lead to additional violence. Social workers and case managers work with individuals affected by community violence, including friends and family. DCJS also supports New York City’s violence interruption efforts, providing $5 million for its Crisis Management System (CMS) so it can bring those programs to scale.
$18 million for the state’s unique network ofCrime Analysis Centers, which analyze, compile and distribute information, intelligence and data to local law enforcement agencies statewide. No other state has anything similar and the centers – operated in partnership with local law enforcement agencies in 10 counties and New York City – are hubs of state and local efforts to deter, investigate, and solve crimes. Last year alone, staff handled more than 90,000 requests for assistance, helping agencies solve everything from retail theft to murders.
Up to $20 million forProject RISE, a unique funding model that convenes community stakeholders to respond to gun violence, invest in solutions, sustain positive programming, and empower communities. In its first year, the initiative supported 99 organizations, including 74 small, grassroots programs, many of which had never received state support fort their work. Programs and services funded by RISE include academic support, employment services, mentoring, and delinquency/violence prevention.
“Governor Hochul’s comprehensive investment in programs and strategies to address the pandemic-era increase in crime is paying dividends,” New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said. “The DCJS budget is the largest in its history, allowing us to provide record-level funding to law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations addressing the causes and consequences of crime. I want to recognize our local partners for their tremendous efforts and my staff for their commitment to this important work.”
