A majority in the Senate approved the historic climate and health plan
A majority in the Senate approved Joe Biden’s major climate and health plan on Sunday, a plan with ambitious goals to reduce carbon emissions, Reuters reports.
The aim of the “Inflation Reduction Act” package is, as the name suggests, to bring down inflation in the USA. It deals with everything from the prices of medicines, to taxes on companies and it also contains 369 billion dollars for a number of major climate measures.
The bill was passed with 51 votes in favor and 50 against. In the end, it was Vice President Kamala Harris who cast the deciding vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said the bill contains “the boldest clean-energy package in American history” to combat climate change, as well as cutting the cost of energy and a range of medicines.
In the House of Representatives next week, it is expected to pass in a final vote, before being signed by Biden.
The agreement could become the largest climate change package in US history. Together, this could cut emissions in the US by 40 percent by 2030, according to the Democrats. Several analysts are now behind this estimate, after going through the bill, writes The Atlantic.
– The House of Representatives should approve the bill as soon as possible and I look forward to writing it into law, says President Joe Biden in a statement.
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