REMINDER: Every Single Republican Voted Against Lowering Costs for Americans
August 8, 2022
While Democrats are focused on fighting inflation and tackling the climate crisis, Republicans have repeatedly voted against legislation to help lower costs for Americans. Over the weekend, every single GOP senator voted against the Inflation Reduction Act.
Republican senators blocked a cap on out-of-pocket insulin costs for Americans with private insurance, making clear they will choose Big Pharma over the American people.
Bloomberg: “Republicans successfully stripped a proposed $35 per month cap on out-of-pocket spending on insulin for patients enrolled in private insurance from the tax and climate bill.”
Washington Post: “Republican lawmakers on Sunday successfully stripped a $35 price cap on the cost of insulin for many patients from the ambitious legislative package Democrats are moving through Congress this weekend, invoking arcane Senate rules to jettison the measure.”
It doesn’t stop there. The Inflation Reduction Act will finally allow Medicare to directly negotiate the price of prescription drugs, pushing down costs. Not a single Republican lawmaker supported lowering prescription drug costs for families.
New York Times: “For the first time, Medicare would be allowed to negotiate with drugmakers on the price of prescription medicines, a proposal projected to save the federal government billions of dollars.”
New York Times: “The package would cap the out-of-pocket costs that seniors pay annually for prescription drugs at $2,000, and would ensure that seniors have access to free vaccines. Lawmakers also included a rebate should price increases outpace the rate of inflation.”
In addition, the bill will help ensure corporations and the ultra wealthy pay their fair share — without raising taxes on families making under $400,000 a year. Again not a single Republican supported the measure, showcasing how they will side with big business over Americans any day.
Washington Post: “In part by tweaking federal tax laws — chiefly to target tax cheats and some billion-dollar companies that pay nothing to the government — the bill is expected to raise enough money to cover its new spending.”
New York Times: “The legislation would also bolster the I.R.S. with an investment of about $80 billion, hoping to recover additional tax revenue by cracking down on wealthy corporations and wealthy tax evaders.”
New York Times: “Charles P. Rettig, the Internal Revenue Service commissioner, told Congress on Thursday that the tax collection agency would not increase audits of households earning less than $400,000 if it was given the additional $80 billion that lawmakers were considering in a proposed climate and tax legislation package.”
The Inflation Reduction Act will create good-paying jobs here in America to help build and work on renewable energy projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat the climate crisis. Did we mention that every single Republican voted against it?
Bluegreen Alliance: “The PERI analysis finds that the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate and energy investments will create more than 9 million jobs over the next decade.”
The Inflation Reduction Act puts working Americans ahead of special interests while lowering costs for families. Republicans keep showing Americans who they are and what they support. The American people simply cannot afford Republicans’ out-of-touch MAGA agenda.