WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Sunday blocked a $35-a-month cap on the price of insulin on the private market from being included in Democrats’ economic tax-and-spend package, voting against amending the measure in a marathon session leading to what Democrats hope to be the final adoption of the bill.
On Saturday night, the Senate began consideration of more than 30 amendments to the Inflation Reduction Act, a $700 billion Democratic law aimed at fighting climate change, raising taxes on big corporations and dealing with rising health care costs.
At the heart of the proposed changes was the plan to set a cap of $35 a month on insulin, the expensive drug needed to treat diabetes. Seven Republican senators voted with all 50 Democrats to keep the price cap in the legislation: Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cindy Hyde Smith of Mississippi, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Dan Sullivan of Alaska.
Still, on a 57-43 vote, the provision failed to garner the 60 votes needed to remove the special budget rules and make it into the bill. The House passed a similar insulin price cap in April.
Democrats hope to clear their overall legislative package on Sunday, setting up the House to briefly return to Washington this week to approve it. Its passage would give President Biden and congressional Democrats a key victory ahead of the midterm elections, when they work to retain control of Congress.
The legislation is the culmination of months of negotiations over Mr. Biden’s domestic policy plan, which at times appeared dead but was revived late last month with the surprise announcement of a deal between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Joe Manchin. a moderate Democrat from West Virginia.
Democrats have hailed the plan as the answer to tackling inflation and investing nearly $400 billion in climate change. The package allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, extends subsidies for improved health insurance that were set to expire at the end of the year, and imposes a minimum tax of 15 percent on corporations making more than $1 billion each year.
To boost clean energy, the measure includes tax credits for the purchase of electric vehicles and the production of solar panels and wind turbines. It also provides rebates for consumers who buy energy-efficient appliances and provides $4 billion for drought relief.
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