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The U.S. Senate voted along party lines on Saturday night to debate Democrats’ energy, health and tax bills, a major obstacle to passage.
of In a 51-50 vote, Vice President Kamala Harris broke the tieHe approved the council to debate and vote for amendment The measurement And he indicated he had enough support from Democrats to overcome unified Republican opposition.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Yes, we will show the American people that we can pass a historic climate package and take down drug companies and make our tax code fairer.” “We have made big promises and we will work hard to keep them.
“This is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching pieces of legislation to come before Congress in decades,” added the New York Democrat. “It just helps every citizen in this country and makes America a much better place.”
As expected, every Republican voted against the measure. Republicans in and out of the Senate have criticized him for spending too much during the recession and doing little to tackle consumer inflation, which they say is America’s top priority.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell focused his comments on the measure’s provisions. Allowing Medicare to negotiate Research and development efforts in the private sector will significantly reduce the cost of some prescription drugs.
“Democrats’ policies are not going to bring the kind of wonderful innovation that we have, but at a lower cost,” he said. As companies cut back on R&D, their policies lead to a world where many new drugs and treatments are invented in the first place.
President Joe Biden’s administration “strongly supports” the legislation, the White House said Saturday.
“This legislation will reduce health care, prescription and energy costs, invest in energy security, and make our tax code fairer — all while fighting inflation and reducing the deficit,” the administration’s policy statement said.
Saturday session
The vote opened an unusual weekend Senate session — the chamber is scheduled to be on August recess — and is expected to include up to 20 hours of debate and 40 to 50 amendments in a “vote-rama.”
A final vote is expected Sunday or Monday, depending on how long debate and amendment votes take.
The bill, which was negotiated primarily by Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, with additional changes at the behest of Sen. Kirsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona. It has spent nearly $370 billion on clean energy programs.allow Medicare to negotiate some drug prices starting in 2026 and change the tax code and generate more than $400 billion in new revenue over 10 years for the Internal Revenue Service.
July 29 Analysis The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania found that the bill had no effect on inflation.
After negotiating with Senate to secure all provisions eligible for review in the budget reconciliation, Democrats released the bill to Senate lawmakers. A lengthy 755-page updated bill Minutes before voting to open the debate on Saturday.
The reconciliation process allows Democrats to pass the bill with a simple vote instead of the usual 60-vote threshold.
CBO sent Schumer Incomplete result The amended bill on Saturday. The estimate shows that seven of the eight spending categories would increase the deficit by $115 over 10 years. It does not include revenue projections.
Among the late changes was an additional $4 billion for western drought relief.
Western Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Mark Kelly of Arizona and Michael Bennett of Colorado announced the Bureau of Reconstruction funding for drought relief in Nevada, Arizona and Colorado.
“The western United States is facing an unprecedented drought, and it is imperative that we have the resources to support our states’ efforts to fight climate change, conserve water resources, and protect the Colorado River Basin,” they said in their joint statement. press release.
Democrats also added a provision Limit the cost of insulin co-pays $35 for Americans starting in 2024. But Insulin’s language could be challenged by Republicans on the ground.
Another provision pushed by Virginia Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine and included in the original draft of the bill Permanently Extends the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which provides monthly payments and medical benefits to disabled coal miners who develop black lung disease while working in coal mines.
The cuts in prescription drug spending and tax code changes would more than offset the cost of the bill, reducing the deficit by $100 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The additional IRS enforcement would bring the total deficit to around $300 billion.
Those predictions did not stop Republicans from criticizing the bill as a “tax and spend” measure.
The deficit reduction will be less than 1% of GDP over 10 years, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Republican, said Friday.
“That would be a total turnoff,” he said. “So that’s what they’re using to justify it and that’s their strongest argument, that’s the weakest strong argument.”
Forcing strong voices
Most of the amendments to the Democrat-written bill are expected to come from Republicans, some with the express goal of forcing Democrats into tougher political positions ahead of the November election.
Wyoming GOP Conference Chairman John Barrasso said Republicans will offer reforms on immigration, crime, inflation and energy policy.
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said the amendment votes would be “like hell.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, said the House will return from its August recess to vote Friday on the Senate-passed bill.
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