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With Senator Joe Manchin(D-W.Va) agreeing to a deal with Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the Inflation Reduction Act appears to be a probability rather than a possibility.
The Inflation Reduction Act could significantly influence President Biden’s domestic policy agenda. One area that would be affected dramatically is climate change. The Act would cut U.S. emissions by up to 41%, according to the model created by Energy Innovation, using the U.S. Energy Policy Simulator. The IRA includes provisions for climate change such as clean energy tax programs, forestry funding programs, Nuclear energy tax credits, methane reduction programs, and more.
The Energy Innovation model also shows that the provisions will create up to 1.5 million jobs by 2030. The jobs will mainly be in the construction, manufacturing, and service industries. The U.S.’s Growth Domestic Product is expected to increase anywhere from 0.84–0.88% by 2030 to the energy and climate provisions within the IRA.
On Monday, Senator Schumer stated to Senate Floor, “Our timeline has not changed, and I expect to bring legislation to the Senate floor to begin voting this week.” This comes as no surprise due to Biden wanting the Act to pass before the August recess starts in the Senate on the 8th. For this to occur, the Democrats are proposing the Act under the process of budget reconciliation. This allows for certain spending bills to move quickly without being filibustered. This is crucial for the democrats because the Senate is deadlocked 50-50. If the bill were not considered a reconciliation package, it would most likely get filibustered or not pass through.
The passing of the Inflation Reduction Act can have major implications for both the Midterm elections and Biden’s possible 2024 Presidential campaign. President Biden and the Democratic party will be hoping the bill is passed by the end of this week.