Washington, D.C. — After Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced that he’s reached a deal with congressional Democrats on legislation that addresses climate change, tax reform, prescription drug reform, and health care costs, Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, released the following statement:
The agreement announced today is a monumental win for the American people. It tackles our greatest challenges by promoting energy security and battling the climate crisis, reducing the cost of medicines, increasing access to health care, and making corporations pay their fair share.
This deal is an extraordinary achievement that springs from President Joe Biden’s progressive vision. It charts a new path for how we grow the economy—one that puts working families first. But this plan would not be possible without the incredible perseverance of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who has worked painstakingly to turn the president’s vision into reality, and Sen. Manchin for his willingness to find consensus.
Most critically, this will be the biggest investment to tackle climate change and deploy clean energy in U.S. history and truly put us on the path to cutting climate pollution in half by 2030. It powerfully signals our commitment on climate to a global community that has sorely needed U.S. leadership. This deal would also deliver historic prescription drug reform 50 years in the making and lower the cost of health coverage for millions of Americans through 2025. The plan makes these urgent investments by cracking down on the wealthiest corporations in America—which currently pay little to no taxes—to finally pay their fair share.
Now, Congress needs to finish the job swiftly to deliver lower costs for families, fight inflation, and save our planet.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or Colin Seeberger at [email protected].