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Washington — US Saturday Senate Democrats will address key elements of President Joe Biden's agenda, tackle climate change, lower energy and drug costs for the elderly, and push for legislation that will force the wealthy to pay more taxes. rice field.
Senators say that most of the $ 430 billion bill can be passed by the Democratic Party, bypassing the filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes in 100 seats to advance most bills. By doing so, we decided that a simple majority could pass. Majority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement over Republican opposition.
Democrats are struggling to maintain narrow control of the Senate and House of Representatives, with bills boosting candidates in the November 8 midterm elections Of the representative who wants.
"The Democratic Party has received very good news," Schumaer said in his statement. "Medicare will finally be allowed to negotiate drug prices .... This is a big win for Americans."
Medicare is a government health insurance program for people over the age of 65. The
bill has three main parts. A minimum tax of 15% on corporations, a stricter IRS enforcement, and a new excise tax on stock repurchases. The law has new spending of $ 430 billion and new revenues of over $ 740 billion.
In addition to billions of dollars to encourage the production and purchase of more electric vehicles and promote clean energy, the bill will bring 4 billion to the new Federal Drought Relief Fund. Set the dollar. The latter is a move that could help Nevada's Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Mast and Arizona's Mark Kelly's reelection campaign.
Republicans have promised to do everything they can to stagnate or thwart the bill, and on Friday Senator Lindsey Graham said the law "they will tax and spend. I'm doing it. "
The Democratic Party is esoteric and complex, because it is dominated by Vice President Kamala, and can pass without Republican support in a 50-50 split conference room between parties. We aim to promote the bill in the Senate using the "Reconciliation" procedure. Harris can cast a tiebreaker vote.
With the reduction of one clause from the bill, pharmaceutical companies will reimburse both government and private health insurance if drug prices rise faster than inflation. You would have been forced. A Senate arbitrator, known as a member of parliament, ruled that the measure was not applicable to private industry.
Saturday begins a difficult process that can last until early next week, with Senators proposing corrections one after another in a time-consuming "llama vote."
Left-hand senators such as Bernie Sanders could try to extend the scope of the bill to include new programs such as federal subsidies for childcare and home health care for the elderly. There is sex. Republicans have suggested offering a number of amendments that address another issue of immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border.
(reported by Richard Cowan, edited by Will Dunham and Scott Malone)
