Senate Democrats Pass $739 Billion Climate and Healthcare Bill
AllSides Summary
Senate Democrats on Sunday passed a $739 billion budget reconciliation bill across party lines, 51-50, that addresses energy, taxes and health care.
After striking deals with centrist Democrats Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. The legislation, entitled the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, now moves on to the House of Representatives.
The bill would allocate $369 billion for climate-related infrastructure, expand the Affordable Care Act health care program, and raise $739 billion in revenue by establishing a 15% minimum tax on big corporations. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Sunday labeled the Inflation Reduction Act as "one of the defining legislative feats of the 21st century" that he believes will "kick start the era of affordable clean energy in America."
Left-rated coverage praised the bill as the "largest climate investment" in U.S. history and highlighted examples of why it's taken Congress "so long to act" on climate change. Right-rated coverage labeled the legislation as "partisan" and accentuated analysts who said the bill's impact on inflation will be "statistically indistinguishable from zero."
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
At Long Last, the Senate Has Passed Sweeping Climate Legislation
After years of stagnant climate policy, months of excruciating political negotiations, and a marathon weekend of back-to-back voting, the Senate passed the Democrats’ sweeping climate and health care bill on Sunday.
The estimated $740 billion package, entitled the Inflation Reduction Act, includes close to $400 billion in climate spending—by far the largest climate investment in the nation’s history. The plan would be largely paid for by new taxes, including a 15 percent minimum tax on the handful of corporations with annual profits about $1 billion.
The bill represents a fraction...
From the Right
Senate Democrats Pass Partisan Spending Bill
Senate Democrats passed their massive spending package on Sunday in a party-line vote using budget reconciliation.
The so-called “Inflation Reduction Act,” passed the Senate via a simple majority with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Democrats used the budget reconciliation process, which allows a measure to pass with a simple majority rather than needing to meet a 60-vote threshold.
The legislation is essentially a pared down version of President Biden’s Build Back Better package that was put to rest last year when Senator Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) pulled...
From the Center
Senate Dems pass sweeping climate, health care measure
In a big win for President Joe Biden, Senate Democrats drove their election-year economic package to approval Sunday.
The passing Inflation Reduction Act was less than the president’s original $4 trillion proposal, but still a substantial compromise package made up of health care, climate change and deficit-reduction strategies, in hopes of tackling inflation and bringing down deficits.
After a marathon, 27-hour weekend session of debate, Democrats held united, 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote.
“On this vote the yays are 50 the nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided the...
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