Inflation Reduction Act: House Passes Historic Climate Spending Bill

ACROSS AMERICA— The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday sent the Inflation Reduction Act to President Joe Biden for his signature. The measure, which passed on a party-line vote, may not immediately tame inflation, but will deliver tax credits for clean energy household products and electric vehicles, prescription drug and health insurance savings, and other consumer benefits to Americans.

The 755-page climate, tax and health care bill calls for $433 billion in new spending that Democrats say is more than offset by $739 billion in revenue, specifically:

• $313 billion from a 15 percent corporate minimum tax
• $288 billion from prescription drug pricing reform
• $124 billion from IRS tax enforcement reform
• $14 billion from the closure of the carried interest loophole

The House returned from its August recess specifically to vote on the legislation, which cleared the Senate on a party-line vote Sunday.

Ahead of debate on the legislation in the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the “landmark legislation” for “lowering kitchen table costs, reducing the cost of Americans’ health care, creating millions of good-paying jobs and addressing the climate crisis.”

Republicans panned the measure as “reckless spending” that adds “fuel to the inflation fire that is burning through Americans’ paychecks.”

Inflation cooled in July with tumbling gas prices, but Americans continued to pay more for groceries, rent and other items, according to the government’s Consumer Price Index report released Wednesday.

The bill delivers on longtime Biden administration pledges with what Democrats call “the single biggest climate investment in U.S. history, by far" — $375 billion over a decade. Democrats believe the climate change-fighting strategies in the bill could put the country on a path to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.

Here are five things Americans need to know about the bill:

Time To Plug In?

Middle- and working-class consumers — those earning $150,000 or less a year (or $300,000 for joint filers) will be eligible for tax credits of up to $7,500 for qualified new “clean” vehicles made in North America. Consumer who earn $75,000 or $150,000 for joint filers can also qualify for up to $4,000 in tax credits for buying used clean vehicles.

Among those qualifying for the maximum credit are vehicles made by General Motors and Tesla; the less efficient the vehicle, the lower the tax credit, NBC reported.

Tax Credits For ‘Clean’ Living

The legislation increases credits from 10 percent to 30 percent for installing Energy Star products in homes and nonbusiness properties. According to the Senate Finance Committee, such products include “solar electric, solar water heating, fuel cell, and small wind energy, and geothermal heat pumps.”

How much savings Americans would see depends on their investments in improving the energy efficiency of their homes. According to a summary from the Bipartisan Policy Center, they could claim $1,200 in tax credits annually, including $600 for energy-efficient windows and $500 for energy-efficient doors, but could claim up to $2,000 if their upgrades included biomass stoves and heat pumps.

Lower Drug Costs For Older Americans

Beginning in 2025, Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket drug expenses would be capped at $2,000. There’s no cap now, and the average Medicare recipient spent $5,460 on out-of-pocket costs in 2016, according to a study by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

Older Americans would also get recommended vaccines at no cost, including those for COVID-19 and shingles.

The legislation also caps monthly out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month for Medicare recipients. Senate Democrats tried to extend the cap to all Americans, but Republicans argued the Senate’s strict budget rules prohibited that, NBC News reported.

No Affordable Care Act Sticker Shock

The measure extends American Rescue Act funding through the end of 2025. Without it, the 13 million Americans who receive their health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace would have faced a sharp premium hike this fall.

The extra financial help is available to people who already are eligible for subsidized health plans on the ACA Marketplace. The legislation also expands ACA subsidies to middle-class wage earners who previously couldn’t afford health insurance, according to Kaiser Family Foundation.

More Neighborhood Investments

The legislation would funnel $60 billion in grants and tax credits to improve air quality monitoring, improve transportation, and invest in clean energy in poor and vulnerable communities.

It also specifically targets neighborhoods near industrial sites. For example, it provides $1 billion in grants to improve energy efficiency in affordable housing.

Environmental justice advocates say the measure falls short of what’s needed but addresses some of the most pressing problems.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.