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demmiblue

(39,719 posts)
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 03:19 PM Aug 2022

Democrats' Sweeping Climate, Health Care And Tax Bill Has Passed The Senate

Source: TPM

Senate Democrats on Sunday passed sweeping legislation containing provisions to address climate change, health care and taxes, a huge step forward on the party’s agenda after more than a year of halting negotiations.

The bill dedicates more than $300 billion to green energy incentives and climate spending, putting the U.S. on course to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. It also extends Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years, avoiding a coverage-loss calamity, and lets Medicare negotiate down some prescription drug prices.

Named the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the bill would also raise more than $700 billion through provisions including a 15 percent minimum corporate tax on businesses making $1 billion or more, beefing up IRS enforcement of tax evaders, and a tax on stock buybacks. It would reduce the deficit by more than $100 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

An earlier provision would have narrowed the carried interest tax loophole, which progressive groups and many Democrats have long sought to do away with entirely. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) nixed that provision, part of a deal with Democratic leadership to win her support. The stock buyback tax was added to replace it.

Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/democrats-sweeping-climate-health-care-and-tax-bill-has-passed-the-senate

32 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Democrats' Sweeping Climate, Health Care And Tax Bill Has Passed The Senate (Original Post) demmiblue Aug 2022 OP
Whew! Novara Aug 2022 #1
Democrats have accomplished so much mcar Aug 2022 #2
great now bring up the insulin cap as a stand alone vote to put repubs on record... nt msongs Aug 2022 #3
They were already on record for standalone (passed by the House in March and stalled in the Senate) BumRushDaShow Aug 2022 #12
+1 50 Shades Of Blue Aug 2022 #13
This is what's in it: Novara Aug 2022 #4
SERIOUSLY??!!! cilla4progress Aug 2022 #5
Dark Brandon is kicking ass! emulatorloo Aug 2022 #7
Ha, ha, ha!!! PatSeg Aug 2022 #19
Bring me the head of Mitch McConnell. No, wait .....here it is. Sneederbunk Aug 2022 #6
_ LudwigPastorius Aug 2022 #11
Mitch.... Historic NY Aug 2022 #18
I heard that photo was taken about 40 minutes ago in the Oval Office. LastDemocratInSC Aug 2022 #20
👏🏽👏🏽 blm Aug 2022 #8
Yey! jerseyjim Aug 2022 #9
If I'm reading this right BumRushDaShow Aug 2022 #10
I thought the $10,000 limit was extended to pay for the thune amendment questionseverything Aug 2022 #16
I know they were paired BumRushDaShow Aug 2022 #21
It's all clear as mud to me questionseverything Aug 2022 #23
LOL BumRushDaShow Aug 2022 #25
Another member was just explaining the money will be made up questionseverything Aug 2022 #26
I know they had to do trade-offs BumRushDaShow Aug 2022 #27
My understanding... kirby Aug 2022 #29
Thank you and I did find some clarification that I posted in another thread BumRushDaShow Aug 2022 #30
One more year... kirby Aug 2022 #31
I found a further update (and posted in another thread) BumRushDaShow Aug 2022 #32
My steps will be a whole lot lighter today pandr32 Aug 2022 #14
The solar industry is very happy today texasfiddler Aug 2022 #15
It says it has 15% minimum tax on corporarions. But says no doc03 Aug 2022 #17
I think a lot of this is just amending (striking and replacing) BumRushDaShow Aug 2022 #22
I don't think that is correct... kirby Aug 2022 #28
Happy for the news Marthe48 Aug 2022 #24

BumRushDaShow

(169,749 posts)
12. They were already on record for standalone (passed by the House in March and stalled in the Senate)
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 03:41 PM
Aug 2022
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2952796

That's why they tried to include it in this legislation.

BumRushDaShow

(169,749 posts)
10. If I'm reading this right
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 03:39 PM
Aug 2022

Mark Warner (D-VA) was able to amend to -

On the Amendment S.Amdt. 5488: Warner Amendment No. 5488; To strike the extension of the limitation on State and local taxes and extend the limitation on excess business losses of noncorporate taxpayers, and for other purposes.


Which I *believe* lifts the SALT limitation by "striking the extension" (i.e., removing the extension that would keep that $10,000 limit in place). In return, there were some (D)s who voted for the Thune amendment (mentioned in another thread - exempting certain businesses from the taxes as part of that 15% minimum corporate tax).

BumRushDaShow

(169,749 posts)
21. I know they were paired
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 04:13 PM
Aug 2022

and what you mention was the assumption - that the SALT limit would remain (I saw a CNN article linked mention that), and this is what the haggling was about, but here is what the descriptions are - https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_117_2.htm

324 (50-50) Agreed to On the Amendment S.Amdt. 5488: Warner Amendment No. 5488; To strike the extension of the limitation on State and local taxes and extend the limitation on excess business losses of noncorporate taxpayers, and for other purposes. H.R. 5376 Aug 07

323 (57-43) Agreed to On the Amendment S.Amdt. 5472: Thune Amendment No.5472; To remove harmful small business taxes, and for other purposes.


I don't have a copy of what the full amendments look like (and the roll calls for those aren't yet available on the Senate website) but the issue was that if the SALT wasn't dealt with, then there would be (D)s voting against it when it got to the House, and we can't lose but so many votes there (maybe no more than 4?).

So it could be the wording of the excerpts were not reflecting the actual amendment wording but just the sections that were being amended.

questionseverything

(11,838 posts)
26. Another member was just explaining the money will be made up
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 04:56 PM
Aug 2022

By limiting losses by some businesses for a couple years

More mud. lol


BumRushDaShow

(169,749 posts)
27. I know they had to do trade-offs
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 05:11 PM
Aug 2022

and the question would be exactly what for what (I know an issue was that some small businesses might have been caught up in the 15% corporate tax thing so they wanted to exempt them but then the loss of that needed to be made up). There had been some discussion about Sinema wanting to pull some hedge fund managers out of the formula but then that would leave a gap again.

kirby

(4,534 posts)
29. My understanding...
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 06:28 PM
Aug 2022

Republicans were trying to get Sinema to vote to alter the 15% AMT in relation to hedge funds. That was included in the Thune amendment which kept the SALT cap to pay for the hedge fund giveaway. Keeping the SALT cap would probably cause the bill to fail in the House among states with higher state taxes. So the Warner amendment replaced the SALT cap funding mechanism with as different mechanism related to limiting business losses (pass through entities).

BumRushDaShow

(169,749 posts)
30. Thank you and I did find some clarification that I posted in another thread
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 07:12 PM
Aug 2022
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=17010869

The SALT cap provision compromise was to only keep it in place for one more year (vs no change and leaving it in place OR completely ditching it right away, which wouldn't allow for paying for the carve-out group).

Tax Bill Latest: GOP Private Equity Carveout Amendment Approved


Bloomberg News
August 6, 2022 at 10:13 PM EDTUpdated onAugust 7, 2022 at 3:02 PM EDT

(snip)

Extended SALT Cap Quickly Replaced by Democrats (3:00 p.m.)

Senate Democrats have voted 51 to 50 to strip out an extension of the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions inserted by Republicans and replaced it with their own new revenue-raising provision.

The vote on the amendment from Virginia Senator Mark Warner came after swing-state senators helped the GOP pass an amendment to the bill extending the SALT cap for one year in order to pay for a new carveout from the 15% corporate for private equity subsidiaries.

(snip)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-07/tax-bill-latest-democrats-dare-gop-to-strip-out-insulin-cap

kirby

(4,534 posts)
31. One more year...
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 09:34 PM
Aug 2022

Does one more year mean beyond 2025? Or one more year meaning next year? I have a feeling it means after 2025 which is when the SALT cap from 2017 bill expires. I think we are back to the status quo (after Sen Warner amendment) - no changes to the SALT cap which will expire in 2025.

Gotta love the logic of Manchin: "Our tax code should not favor red state or blue state elites with loopholes like SALT". The SALT deduction is certainly not a 'loophole'. Not only is there the fairness issue of people having to pay Federal taxes on State and Local tax dollars, but the so called 'blue states' usually have higher taxes because they take care of their people and are not 'taker' states like most of the red ones.

BumRushDaShow

(169,749 posts)
32. I found a further update (and posted in another thread)
Mon Aug 8, 2022, 04:42 AM
Aug 2022
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=17011303

Confirms the SALT cap will still be there but not extended (beyond its sunset), and other loopholes were closed/tax features were extended for the wealthy instead to make up for the Sinema carve-out and that was apparently acceptable by high cost blue state (D) House members who were threatening to ditch the bill.

Those members of congress are now promoting the bill as offering "lower costs" from other provisions to make up for the cap remaining for now (could be there are other tax deductions will be available that would be helpful for people). I still want to look at the amendment text as soon as I can find it.

Pro-SALT deduction House Democrats say they’ll back Senate bill

by Brad Dress - 08/07/22 6:36 PM ET


House Democrats who are pushing to lift a $10,000 fixed cap on state and local taxes (SALT) said they will support the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed the U.S. Senate on Sunday, even without the SALT deduction. Both New Jersey Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer — who insisted “no SALT, no deal” on previous spending packages — expressed support on Sunday for the Inflation Reduction because it does not affect personal income tax rates or raise taxes on their constituents.

“We all know how high the cost of living is in Northern New Jersey. I ran for Congress to tackle those costs on behalf of the people of the 11th Congressional District. That’s exactly why I’m voting for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022,” Sherrill said in a statement.

“Because this legislation does not raise taxes on families in my district, but in fact significantly lowers their costs, I will be voting for it.” The $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act cleared the Senate on Sunday afternoon with the support of all 50 Democrats and a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Harris.

Sherrill said she also supported the climate, healthcare and tax bill because it will lower prescription drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate costs; invest in clean energy and “good-paying jobs”; and impose a minimum tax on corporations. The House will next take up the legislation before a final version reaches President Biden, who applauded its passage on Sunday and called it the “largest investment ever in combatting the existential crisis of climate change.”

(snip)

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3591786-sinema-mulling-gop-amendment-that-democrats-warn-could-derail-tax-climate-health-bill/

texasfiddler

(2,199 posts)
15. The solar industry is very happy today
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 03:47 PM
Aug 2022

Senate Ushers in New Era of American Energy Leadership with Inflation Reduction Act

Sunday, Aug 07 2022

Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act which includes long-term solar and storage tax incentives, investments in domestic solar manufacturing and other critical provisions that will help decarbonize the electric grid with significant clean energy deployment.

Following is a statement by Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), on the Senate’s passage of this historic legislation:

“Today is a monumental day for America’s clean energy progress and global climate leadership. With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in the Senate, solar and storage companies are one step closer to having the business certainty they need to make the long-term investments that decarbonize the electric grid and create millions of new career opportunities in cities and towns across the country.

“This legislation is the most transformational investment America has ever made in our climate future, and we are thankful to our members, the clean energy community and every one of our solar champions in Congress for their work to get us to this historic moment. The solar industry has set a goal to account for 30% of all U.S. electricity generation by 2030, and this legislation will be a catalyst for reaching that target. Now the work can begin to build out America’s clean energy economy with historic deployment, domestic manufacturing, investments in low-income communities, energy storage, smoother interconnection, and so much more.

“The United States is poised to lead the world’s clean energy transformation while lowering costs for families. We look forward to seeing President Biden sign this bill and kick off this new era of American leadership.”


https://www.seia.org/news/senate-ushers-new-era-american-energy-leadership-inflation-reduction-act

doc03

(39,086 posts)
17. It says it has 15% minimum tax on corporarions. But says no
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 03:59 PM
Aug 2022

taxes on anyone under $400,000. Doesn't sound like there are any taxes over $400,000 or are taxes they don't mention?
How does it save each houssehold $500 on energy cost?

BumRushDaShow

(169,749 posts)
22. I think a lot of this is just amending (striking and replacing)
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 04:16 PM
Aug 2022

specific parts of the tax code (including that bullshit tax cuts for the wealthy that was passed in 2017).

The original draft that got amended, was 725 pages long and there was a summary (and link to the draft) here - https://www.democrats.senate.gov/inflation-reduction-act-of-2022

kirby

(4,534 posts)
28. I don't think that is correct...
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 06:15 PM
Aug 2022

I believe the talking point is that it doesn't RAISE taxes on anyone making under $400,000. I saw someone posted a confusing summary that implied no taxes on anyone making under $400,000 which is not correct.

Marthe48

(23,175 posts)
24. Happy for the news
Sun Aug 7, 2022, 04:46 PM
Aug 2022

I feel relief, and excitement. Maybe our country will finally see progress and improvement.

Thank you, real Dems, for your hard work and determination to lead American, instead of being a dead weight pulling us down. You are real Americans!

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