Pay win energy bill

Washington — The Senate on Sunday passed Democrats' sweeping economic package designed to combat climate change, address health care costs and raise taxes on large corporations, marking a crucial achievement for President Biden and his party as they look to maintain their hold on Congress in the November midterm elections. The plan, called the Inflation Reduction Act, cleared the upper chamber by a vote of 51 to 50 along party lines, with Vice President Kamala Harris providing the tie-breaking vote in the evenly divided Senate. Democrats used a fast-track legislative process known as reconciliation to pass the measure in the face of unanimous opposition from Republicans. "It's been a long, tough and winding road but at last, at last, we have arrived," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor as members prepared to vote for final passage. "Today, after more than a year of hard work, the Senate is making history. I am confident the Inflation … [Read more...] about Senate passes Democrats’ sweeping climate, health and tax bill, delivering win for Biden

Liz Truss was not ruling out future cost of living support when she said she would reject "handouts", her supporters have said, with prominent backer Penny Mordaunt claiming the comments were "misinterpreted". Leadership rival Rishi Sunak attacked the comments saying the foreign secretary needs to "get real", while claiming her plan to cut taxes immediately will do little to help the most vulnerable. But Penny Mordaunt , who is backing Ms Truss to become the next prime minister after her own leadership bid failed, claimed on Sky News that her remarks had been "misinterpreted". Ms Truss told the Financial Times that as prime minister she would "look at what more can be done" to help families facing spiralling fuel bills. But she added: "The way I would do things is in a Conservative way of lowering the tax burden, not giving out handouts." Advertisement Ms Mordaunt insisted Ms Truss was making a "general point about the merits of enabling … [Read more...] about Liz Truss ‘misinterpreted’ over ‘no handouts’ remark, her supporters say

The United States Senate has approved a sweeping package that supporters say will slash climate heating carbon emissions, lower drug prices for the elderly and demand higher taxes from corporations and the wealthy. The legislation is less ambitious than President Joe Biden's original domestic goals, but still a major victory that Democrats hope will boost their chances of keeping control of Congress in November's mid-term elections. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) encapsulates party ideals of tackling global heating, tempering pharmaceutical costs and taxing big corporations. After a marathon, two-day weekend session of debate, and dozens of Republican efforts to torpedo the package, the Senate approved the bill by a 51-50 party line vote. Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking ballot. "The time is now to move forward with a big, bold package for the American people," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at the start of debate on Saturday night. … [Read more...] about U.S. Senate passes landmark $430bn climate change, tax and drug pricing bill to lower global warming emissions

Climate change was born as a modern political issue in the United States Senate. On a hot June day in 1988, a senior NASA scientist warned a Senate committee that global warming, which was previously mooted only as a hypothesis, was not only real but was already underway. “It is time to stop waffling so much and say that the evidence is pretty strong that the greenhouse effect is here,” James Hansen said. An auspicious start, and an ironic one. Since then, the fight against climate change in the United States and abroad has been defined by one constant: You can’t get the Senate to do anything. For 34 years, the upper chamber’s peculiar failure to act on the issue has shaped nearly every facet of policy and politics. Because the Senate could not pass a comprehensive climate bill, Congress could not; because Congress could not pass a climate bill, climate-concerned presidents had to rely on executive action and the permissiveness of the Supreme Court, and climate activists had to … [Read more...] about History’s Greatest Obstacle to Climate Progress Has Finally Fallen