Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

News

Manchin and Schumer Cut Abrupt Deal to Hike Taxes and Spend on Environment

In an unexpected turn Wednesday, Sen. Joe Manchin and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer came to an agreement on legislation that would spend big on energy and climate issues while taxing higher earners and large corporations.

Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, had been a holdout on the legislation, which would also address health care costs and aim at reducing the federal debt, before he made a sudden turnaround.

In a statement, he said he now supported the legislation called the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 because “it provides a responsible path forward that is laser-focused on solving our nation’s major economic, energy and climate problems”

The plan would spend $369 billion on energy and climate initiatives and $64 billion to extend expiring federal subsidies for people buying health insurance. That would leave over $300 billion to reduce federal deficits over the decade, Schumer said.

They said the measure would raise $739 billion over 10 years in revenue, the biggest chunk coming from a 15% corporate minimum tax.

The Senate will consider the sweeping package next week, said Schumer (D-NY) and Manchin, who had negotiated for months and had seemed deadlocked over anything but a far smaller measure.

Manchin also said the bill “would dedicate hundreds of billions of dollars to deficit reduction by adopting a tax policy that protects small businesses and working-class Americans while ensuring that large corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share in taxes.”

“I have worked diligently to get input from all sides on the legislation my Democratic colleagues have proposed,” Manchin said. “and listened to the views of my Republican friends to find a path forward that removes inflationary policies so that Congress can respond to Americans’ suffering from high prices.”

Manchin, one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, just last week, said he would only agree to move ahead with lowering prescription drug costs and extending federal subsidies for health care costs. He also said he would be open to a broader deal on the environment and taxes in September once Congress returns from summer recess.

There was no immediate explanation why Manchin had suddenly agreed to the far broader package. In December, his resistance derailed a wide-ranging $3.5 trillion, 10-year social and environment bill that was Biden’s top domestic priority.

But the announcement suddenly presents President Biden and Democrats with the prospect of pushing a major achievement through Congress in the runup to November congressional elections in which Republicans have seemed strongly positioned to capture House control and possibly a majority of the Senate as well.

READ 21 COMMENTS
  • southersgolfer says:

    Almost a half trillion dollars we do not have on the environment? Like we need that right now? And taxing higher earners and large corporations? Ya, right. So they will pay more? Doubtful as their voting agenda comes from them. Hang on, going to be a rough ride.
    As far as medical costs go, my wife went to the emergency room to get a stress test for chest pains. She ended up spending the night and most of the next day there where nobody really paid attention to her and there were no people there who needed help. These hospitals are just hiking up the bill for insurance to pay, while passing the cost down to the people. Health care reform? They need to make hospitals accountable for their charges. It is just rediculous. People work their whole lives to retire, then they have some major issue in their latter years the health care system bleeds them dry. Good idea. Same for the pharmaceutical companies ripping people off for medicine.

  • Crash says:

    Was he threatened somehow? I wouldn’t put that past the lefties…

  • Jim says:

    ALL a dog and pony show to fleece Americans for more money and screw U.S. out of our rights !!!!
    When the circus wants to divert your attention, THEY send out the clowns !!!!!

  • T-Bilt says:

    Reading this article it appears Manchin folded on 3/4 of a trillion in spending for 64 million in promised entitlements… brilliant!
    Expect even higher inflation with increased cost for goods and services as the evil top earners pass their “fair share” tax increases on to the end users or populace.
    When will people wake up and understand the federal gov’t is a criminal organization getting rich off the masses..? They all should be hit with the RICO act.

  • TOP STORIES

    News

    It’s no secret that MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s stolen 2020 election claims have proved costly, as ongoing billion-dollar defamation actions by voting machine companies...

    News

    Attorneys for a co-defendant in former President Donald Trump’s Georgia case will be able to argue that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis overstepped...

    News

    Investigators arrested a LGBT activist and Princeton University alumnus last week on a charge of possession of child pornography, according to a local outlet....

    News

    A California judge ruled that former President Donald Trump’s lawyer John Eastman should be disbarred for an alleged attempt to subvert the 2020 election...

    >