From Build Back Better, to Manchin says no, to Build Back Manchin, to the rebranded Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden and Democrats finally have some of their long-delated agenda passed regarding healthcare and climate, among other things.
Washington Post:
The Senate on Sunday approved a sweeping package to combat climate change, lower health-care costs, raise taxes on some billion-dollar corporations and reduce the federal deficit, as Democrats overcame months of political infighting to deliver the centerpiece to President Biden’s long-stalled economic agenda.
The party-line vote was a milestone in a tumultuous journey that began last year when Democrats took control of Congress and the White House with a promise to bring financial relief to ordinary Americans. With a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Harris, the 50-50 Senate sent the bill to the House, which aims to approve it and send it to the White House for Biden’s signature later this week.
Dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the package would authorize the biggest burst of spending in U.S. history to tackle global warming — about $370 billion to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below their 2005 levels by the end of this decade. The proposal also would make good on Democrats’ years-old pledge to reduce prescription drug costs for the elderly.
In part by tweaking federal tax laws — chiefly to target tax cheats and some billion-dollar companies that pay nothing to the government — the bill is expected to raise enough money to cover its new spending. Democrats say the measure is also expected to generate an additional $300 billion for reducing projected budget deficits over the next 10 years, though they have not yet furnished a final fiscal analysis of their legislation.
“This is one of the most significant pieces of legislation passed in a decade,” Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in an interview before the bill’s passage in the Senate. “Things that Americans have longed for, and couldn’t get done.”
The package is the byproduct of the political realities in the narrowly divided Senate, where Republicans stood immovably opposed to the bill and Democrats had to negotiate among themselves to shepherd it to the chamber floor. It hinged on a breakthrough deal negotiated in late July between Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), a moderate who nearly eight months ago single-handedly scuttled a previous attempt to advance his party’s agenda. And its fate teetered at one point because of a last-minute snag with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).
To assuage Manchin, Democrats had to give up some of their more ambitious plans — free prekindergarten for all, paid family and medical leave for workers nationwide — and offer new support for fossil fuels. To satisfy Sinema, meanwhile, party leaders repeatedly dialed back their proposed tax policies, particularly those targeting wealthy investors.
In the final hours of debate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tried unsuccessfully to restore some of the jettisoned proposals, including a significant expansion of Medicare to provide dental, vision and hearing coverage to the elderly. Delivering multiple fiery speeches, Sanders implored his colleagues to improve a bill that “does nothing” to address the greatest financial challenges facing families.
Repeatedly, though, Democrats rejected even ideas they once supported — leaving Sanders the lone aye vote on the amendments — as they labored to protect a compromise bill they saw as fragile. Many Democrats emphasized the need to overlook the losses and savor the gains in a package that weeks earlier had seemed out of reach.
It’s massively less than the Dems started out wanting but, blunty, with an evenly split Senate I don’t think the Dems were rational in pursuing as much as they went after. What they ended up with, though, is pretty decent.Report
Almost like the Democrats are good at this “politics” thing.Report
I think this is a good outcome overall and I don’t want to take away from it. However I do think that moving forward it would be wiser to under promise and over deliver in slim majority situations. There was no need for so much acrimony and it makes moving the ball forward in some modest, but important ways look like a failure when it is really a success.Report
This hits the nail right on the head. Maybe have the entire caucus weigh in before the bill is written, even. We don’t need to see the sausage being made.Report
I blame the primary process in 2020, with all the promises of transformational change that were never grounded in reality. Just doing good, competent government is underrated, and not everything has to be a revolution.Report
It’s really hard to gauge. Really very hard. In a normal environment you’d compare them to the opposition party. But when the GOP is in power they just sort of flop around, cut taxes and wallow. On the other hand they also don’t exactly have a coherent agenda and they accomplish no coherent agenda so from another angle they accomplish 100% of what they want to accomplish (which is cut taxes for the rich and flop around incoherently).Report
It’s now got a new nickname that has fewer references to “inflation”:
From CNN: Senate passes Democrats’ sweeping health care and climate bill
From CBS: Senate passes Democrats’ sweeping climate, health and tax bill, delivering win for BidenReport
The Affordable Care Act is forever known as Obamacare. Doesn’t change the nature of the thing.Report
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Sinema isn’t even pretending at this point. She’s just completely given up on reelection and wants her payoff now.Report
I’m not sure, anymore, if she wanted more then one term anyway.Report
I don’t know. I still think she is pretty deluded. The thing is that her 14 billion dollar cut for private equity was replaced with taxes that bring in more revenue.Report
Grassley tweeted that he voted to keep in insulin when he did not. All six Republicans who voted to keep in insulin price caps did not vote for the bill. Rubio made an anti-Semitic dog whistle tweet on “Soros financed prosecutors” which is surprising for a Senator from Florida.Report
It’s funny. I didn’t know Soros was Jewish until yesterday when Dems started this “anti-Semitic dog whistle” messaging..
I just thought he was evil.Report
???
There’s a difference between supporting causes that you don’t support and evil.Report
Anyone who doesn’t know that George Soros is Jewish is too ill-informed about him to have an opinion about him that anyone has any reason to respect. And I’m assuming, perhaps wrongly, that his Jewishness is not considered further support for his evilness.Report
You don’t have to respect my opinion about George Soros for not knowing or caring about his ethnicity or religion, but it’s pretty cowardly to talk past the person you’re trying to insult.Report
I’m not trying to insult Soros. And I didn’t “talk past” you. So I have no idea what or whom you’re talking about.Report
I don’t throw ‘evil’ around lightly. Certainly not in the ‘supporting causes you disagree with is white supremacy’ sort of way.
I find Soros’ systematic strategy of flushing cash in the pockets of *his* DAs in urban democratic primary races to be pretty sinister. No one sees it coming. They have no idea what they are voting in until they are elected and doing their interpretive and selective prosecution of crime. The effect it is having in our big cities is a proven disaster, and he is its architect.
PS: I also didn’t know he was Hungarian. I thought Soros was a greek name. Apologies for any anti-Hungarian dog whistles I may be unknowingly blowing.Report
Yes, deep pocketed interests giving campaign donations is certainly bad for democracy.
But the Constitution prevents us from doing anything about it, or so I’m told.Report
As far as I can tell, Soros’ donations have all been above board. He makes no secret of his foundation’s goals, and seems proud to keep funding them with checks with his actual name on them, much like the Kochs on the right.Report
I view them largely the same. I just have a particular problem with the Open Society strategy and what it is doing to our cities. Something can be both legal and sinister at the same time.Report
Soros pumping big money into bringing down eastern euro commie govs seems like the kind of thing almost all of us could agree is a good thing.Report
They weren’t really communist, Greg.Report
Lol…..geez……..ummm yeah…..Just the best point ever. lol.Report
Personally, I find that questioning one of our Top 50 Foundations’ totally above-board donations in pursuit of their publicly stated goals to be extremely cynical – which is why I do it. I mean all of these billions being directed by these foundations can only do good, right? How could one possibly object to any of these mission statements?
“We are a family-led foundation that tackles tough social and environmental problems with urgency and a long-term approach to create access to opportunity for people and communities.”
“We focus on bottom-up solutions that identify, explore, and overcome barriers to flourishing across society.”
“Our vision is to become a global catalyst for discoveries that contribute to human flourishing. Our purpose is to enable people to create lives of purpose and meaning.”
“[We] support individuals and organizations across the globe fighting for freedom of expression, accountable government, and societies that promote justice and equality.”
“We are dedicated to transforming the lives of children living in urban poverty through improved education, health, and family economic stability.”
“[We] work to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people by focusing on five key areas: the arts, education, the environment, government innovation, and public health.”
Godspeed billionaires, godspeed.Report
Until Citizens United is Dobbsed out of existence it’s something we’ll have to live with. Do I like it that some people have outsized influence on the politics of our nation? Of course not. I do, however, prefer them to be above board. Say what you will about Soros and Koch, they are that. And anyone that knows who they are ought to know what they’re bringing to the table, feel good mission statements not withstanding.Report
Sure, but seriously, a lot of that money goes to above-board NGO’s or charities, start-ups, or other projects… not just to Politicians; so it will never be Dobbsed out.
That which we like is good funding, that which we don’t is dangerous funding for bad things.
But yeah, I’m not really disputing your overall observation, just pointing out that Koch and Soros (both included above) can be objected to or praised according to the details of the thing they are doing.Report
Clean hands definitely depend on your viewpoint, for sure. I give out a fair chunk of my take home to orgs I support, some of which, no doubt, wouldn’t pass muster by some of my more right leaning brethren.Report
Quite so, I for one was surprised that a sitting Senator wanted to target and close organizations that my wife and daughters volunteer at and to which we donate significant above board funds.Report
I can’t help but see an implication in this exchange that you both are also contributing below board to something or someone…Report
Never pay retail for Girl Scout cookies.
There, I’ve already said too much.Report
Saul has never heard a criticism that he didn’t write off as anti-Semitic. The fact that he can’t reconcile it coming from a Senator from Florida won’t even break his stride.Report
Seeing all the Soros hate as antisemitism is very common among D’s and jews. It seems very sleazy having seen a lot of it. And there is some that is directly anti semetic.Report
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/09/12/the-troubling-truth-about-the-obsession-with-george-soros/?sh=4bf796534e2eReport
Democrat: “Republicans tolerate anti-Semitism.”
Respectable Republican: “That’s a vicious smear!”
Trump: “No, no the Notsee generals were totally the good guys! Our generals should be more like them!”Report
As much as the idea of Soros-bashing being driven by antisemitism may turn you on, there is near perfect symmetry between Republican demonization of Soros and Democratic demonization of Charles Koch. He’s a billionaire who gives a lot of money to Democratic causes. He doesn’t have to be Jewish for Republicans to dislike him.
In totally unrelated news, I hear Ilhan Omar won her primary.Report
Given Soros’ long contributions to European organizations that participated in ending Communism, one would think he’d actually be a bit of a hero to conservatives. That he’s not suggests the anti-Semitism is in fact the overwhelming driver.Report
Happens all the time… How’s Sully being treated on Trans things by the left? You’d think they would be grateful for all he did on behalf of SSM… how could anyone possibly criticize him on anything at all? Must be homophobia.Report
I want to say that he was.
At the time.
That was then, this is now.Report
I found this funny.
“The Inflation Reduction Act now approaching final approval in Congress includes a well-intended tax credit of up to $7,500 if you purchase an electric vehicle.”
“But, Washington being Washington, lawmakers wrote the law in such a way that most EV buyers won’t qualify for the assistance.”
https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/heres-why-most-evs-wont-qualify-for-new-ev-credit/Report
Seems pretty typical. Buy American has deep bipartisan cachet.Report
While true, it still comes off as a “bait and switch” I think to most people.Report
Manufacturers will adjust to go after the subsidy, I imagine, and so by the time that “most people” even become aware of it the original issue from the article will no longer be pertinent. If by “most people” you mean “Most people who pay close attention to politics” then my original point is dispositive when wedded to the relevant political fact that the IRA had to be passed with perfect Democratic unanimity.Report
We’ve crossed 5% sales of EVs in the US so sales will go up.Report