WASHINGTON (Fwrd Axis) — Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has reached an agreement with Democrats on the sweeping Democratic legislation late Thursday that would support climate change and extended health care access.
Sinema’s decision likely gives Democrats the votes they need to pass the bill to move on to the House for a vote.
“We have agreed to remove the carried interest tax provision, protect advanced manufacturing, and boost our clean energy economy in the Senate’s budget reconciliation legislation,” Sinema said in a statement Thursday. “Subject to the Parliamentarian’s review, I’ll move forward.”
The bill, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, is not expected to see any Republican support, making Sinema’s that much more important. The news comes after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) voiced his support for the legislation after initially saying he couldn’t.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) released a statement, suggesting the Democrats now have full support behind the bill to pass the legislation with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie.
“I am pleased to report that we have reached an agreement on the Inflation Reduction Act that I believe will receive the support of the entire Senate Democratic conference,” Schumer said. “The final version of the Reconciliation bill, to be introduced on Saturday, will reflect this work and put us one step closer to enacting this historic legislation into law.”
Sinema had been opposed to a provision in the deal Manchin cut with Schumer that would have cut the carried interest tax break. It remains unclear what else in the bill needed to change to gain support but the news will likely add to the week of success for President Joe Biden, who also saw the passage of the CHIPS bill, PACT act, and announced the killing of the top leader of Al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri.
“Tonight, we’ve taken another critical step toward reducing inflation and the cost of living for America’s families,” Biden said of the latest developments in the legislation in a statement Thursday. “I look forward to the Senate taking up this legislation and passing it as soon as possible.”
