The bill that passed the House yesterday and the Senate earlier in the week, and which President Biden will sign soon, is a very big deal. The “Inflation Reduction Act” is another triumph executed without any GOP support and a significant step forward in combatting climate change, providing more affordable healthcare, and making our tax code fairer. Negotiating Medicare drug pricing and capping out-of-pocket pharmacy costs for seniors have been a Democratic target for decades. Biden and the Democrats now in Congress made it happen. They also made the largest investment toward stopping climate disaster ever. Like FDR’s creations (Social Security, for example), these results benefit all Americans, regardless of party affiliation.
This new law joins other remarkable achievements of this summer:
- aid for veterans who were victims of burn pits
- the boost to competitiveness from the CHIPS Act
- the deal on gun controls
- the support for the accession of Sweden & Finland to NATO
And it builds on past successes of the first less-than-two years of Biden’s Presidency, including
- the American Rescue Plan, which pulled our economy and education system back from the pandemic and lifted so many children out of poverty (until the Republicans refused to renew the child tax credit),
- the (somewhat) Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (from which $2.2 Billion in local road, bridge, and bike lane projects were announced this past Thursday)
- ending America’s longest war
- ending the career of the head of Al Qaeda (with prejudice)
- leading the West’s support of Ukraine
- restoring US global leadership
- reentering the Paris Climate Accords
- energizing our Pacific partnerships with an economic deal, a Quad summit, & a trilateral security agreement with Australia and the UK
- confirming a record number of judges, including the first black female Supreme Court Justice
- restoring the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department to active duty in protecting the civil rights of all Americans
Biden’s economic record is nothing short of astounding. Almost 10 million new jobs have been created in 18 months (more than the last 3 GOP administrations combined). Under his leadership, the United States has one of the most effective responses to global inflation of any major economic power (including steadily falling gas prices.)
With all this accomplished in just over 18 months, imagine what we can do in another two years if we expand our majorities in the House and elect at least two more U.S. Senators. Our job in Coconino County is to deliver the votes to protect our two (endangered but winnable) seats: Those of Tom O’Halleran and Mark Kelly. Let’s get to work!
Share this: