As conservative Media continues to portray former president Donald Trump as a victim of Deep State tyranny for being under investigation by the FBI, current president Joe Biden has signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation was opposed by a majority of Republicans, who have very little interest in improving the lives of anyone, least of all their own constituents.
The legislation, HR 5376, is a 750 billion dollar tax/health care, and climate bill passed by both the House and Senate just months before the midterm elections. It was preceded by the president’s remarks at the White House.
"I'm about to sign the Inflation Reduction Act into law, one of the most significant laws in our history. Let me say from the start: With this law the American people won and the special interests lost...
"The bill I'm about to sign is not about today, it's about tomorrow. It's about delivering progress and prosperity to American families.
"It's about showing America and the American people that democracy still works in America - not withstanding all the talk of it's demise - not just for the privileged, but for all of us.
..."We're giving Medicare the power to negotiate those ( lower ) prices now, on some drugs. This means seniors are going to pay less for their prescription drugs while we're changing circumstances for people on Medicare by putting a cap on - a cap of a maximum of 2,000 a year on their prescription drug costs, no matter what the reason for those prescriptions are. That means if you're on Medicare, you'll never have to pay more than 2,000 a year no matter how many prescriptions you have, whether it's for cancer or any other disease...
"This bill is the biggest step forward on climate ever and it's going to allow us to boldly take additional steps toward meeting all of my climate goals...
"It includes ensuring that we create clean energy opportunities in frontline and fence-line communities that have smothered by pollution and fight environmental injustice that's been going on for so long..."
"Every single Republican in Congress voted against lowering prescription drug prices, against lowering health care costs, against a fair tax system. Every single Republican voted against tackling the climate crisis, against lowering our energy costs, against creating good paying jobs..."
It’s a massive bill with a massive cost, that does not include provisions previously anticipated: paid family and sick leave, universal pre-K program, an extension of the enhanced child tax credit, and expansion of Medicare benefits.
“In normal times, getting these bills done would be a huge achievement,” Chuck Schumer said. “But to do it now, with only fifty Democratic votes in the Senate, over an intransigent Republican minority, is nothing short of amazing.”
Republican opposition to anything Biden and Democrats propose, is to be expected: “I think it’s too much spending, too much taxing, and in my view the wrong priorities,” Republican Senator John Thune griped during a Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce event. “A super charged, super sized IRS that is going to go after high income and mid income taxpayers.”
It would seem that Thune’s most pressing priority at the moment, would be defending Donald Trump from the big, bad FBI.
Sources: Associated Press, CNN, Whitehouse.gov.
The Weekly News 