Home / News The House finally votes in favor of paid family leave and affordable childcare Anna Moneymaker/Getty The "Build Back Better" bill, now passed in the House after weeks of negotiations, will go to the Senate. By Cassandra Stone November 19, 2021 Anna Moneymaker/Getty Rectangle On Friday morning, the House passed President Biden’s Build Back Better bill after deliberating for weeks. The bill includes a wide range of spending aimed at social safety net packages, including paid family leave, free universal preschool, and more affordable childcare and healthcare. The $2 trillion legislation package was approved on a 220-213 vote. The bill will also focus on many significant climate change initiatives, capping drug costs, boosting Pell grants for college tuition, and helping Americans recover from the pandemic. THANK YOU! Because of the voices of parents and caregivers, #BuildBackBetter just got through the US House with: Paid Family/Medical Leave, Childcare, HomeCare, Maternal Health, Expanded Child Tax Credit. Next stop: The Senate! Keep the pressure on! #CareCantWait pic.twitter.com/eooKHkYtjc— MomsRising (@MomsRising) November 19, 2021 House Democrats initially proposed 12 weeks of paid family leave as part of the bill, but Republicans and centrist Democrats struck down the proposal. After going back and forth on the issue—and at one point, removing paid leave from the table altogether— House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that four weeks of paid family and medical leave made it into the final version of the bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to the measure as “historic, transformative and larger than anything we have ever done before.” Prior to the final vote Friday morning, she addressed the House by reminding them what they’re voting for and why. The House has voted 220-213 to pass the Build Back Better bill.Not a single Republican voted for:• Universal pre-K• Child care tax credits• Paid family leave• Elder care• Medicare coverage for hearing• Lower prescription drug costs pic.twitter.com/9yAIOGN9zs— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) November 19, 2021 “We are building back better,” she said. “If you’re a parent, a senior, a child, a worker. If you’re an American, this bill is for you.” After the bill passed, Democrats gathered at the front of the chamber, hugging, dancing, applauding, and cheering. The U.S. is still the only industrialized nation that does not offer paid maternity or paternity leave or universal childcare options. The measure now goes to the Senate. Related Stories News Dear Congress: Paid leave is not a perk. It’s a requirement. News Paid leave has been added back into major social spending bill News What parents need to know about the support for child care and universal preschool in the Build Back Better bill Categories: News, Life, Viral & Trending Related articles News Will the monthly child tax credits be extended into 2022? December 15, 2021 News Here’s what President Biden’s American Families Plan means for you July 12, 2021 Life What parents need to know about tonight’s presidential debate September 29, 2020 Parenting 81% of Gen Z + Millennials say affordable childcare is an important issue July 23, 2020 Life Pete Buttigieg has a plan to support America’s stressed-out mothers October 24, 2019