For the US President, the adoption of his climate package is an important success.
(Photo: Reuters)
Washington Three months before the midterm elections to Congress, the US House of Representatives passed the long-contested climate and health package with the votes of the Democrats. Voting on Friday ran along party lines with 220 votes to 207; all Republican lawmakers voted against it. The Senate passed President Joe Biden’s central concern in a surprising turn of events on Sunday. There, because of the narrow majority of the Democrats, Vice President Kamala Harris broke the stalemate with her vote.
“Today is a day of celebration, a day when we take another giant step on our momentous agenda,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The legislative package now goes to Biden, with whose signature it comes into force.
In particular, due to the objections of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, Biden’s original trillion package has been significantly reduced. The central point is 375 billion dollars, which should flow into climate protection over ten years and drive the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies. Despite the deletions, experts speak of the largest climate investment ever approved by Congress.
$64 billion is left over for the healthcare package. They are intended to help 13 million people pay for their private health insurance over the next three years. The Medicare program is to be given more clout in negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers about drug prices, but will be capped at ten drugs for the first time by 2026. For example, the price of insulin, the expensive drug used to treat diabetes, should not be more than $35 from next year.
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With the legislative package, the state intends to take in $740 billion over the next ten years, a third of which will come from cutting drug prices.
Republicans reject the package. You’ve described it as a collection of liberal daydreams raising taxes and the cost of living. It could benefit Democrats and Biden in November’s midterm congressional elections.
The Democrats are now united behind the package, as Sunday’s vote in the Senate showed. Since late July, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been able to reach agreement first with Manchin and then with Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Sinema had urged that planned tax increases for hedge fund managers be canceled and that funds be made available to fight the drought in the western United States.
More: That means the multi-billion dollar US climate package for the economy