Bernie Sanders criticizes Inflation Reduction Act, says it will have 'minimal impact'

Merdie Nzanga, USA TODAY
·2 min read
47
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized his party’s Inflation Reduction Act, saying it does not do enough to fight inflation.

"The so-called Inflation Reduction Act that we are debating this evening, and I say so-called by the way, because according to the CBO and other economic organizations that have studied this bill, it will, in fact, have a minimal impact on inflation," Sanders said on the Senate floor Saturday.

During a rare overnight Senate session, Sanders also offered amendment after amendment to push it further on health care, prescription drugs and fossil fuels.

The independent Vermont senator noted that the bill does not discuss income inequality, childhood poverty, or the health care system.

Inflation Reduction Act voting: Senate Democrats push sweeping climate, health care bill as Republicans try to slow passage

"You've got a piece of legislation that is a very, very modest piece, it goes nowhere near as far as it should go on prescription drugs," he told reporters.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del, said on ABC's "This Week," that he has faith Sanders will vote for the measure.

"I understand that Senator Sanders has a different view than virtually everyone else in our caucus, but I am confident he will vote for it in the end."

Sinema backs the bill: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema backs Inflation Reduction Act, giving Biden the votes for Senate passage

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks while introducing health care legislation titled the "Medicare for All Act of 2019" with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), during a news conference on Capitol Hill, on April 9, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks while introducing health care legislation titled the "Medicare for All Act of 2019" with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), during a news conference on Capitol Hill, on April 9, 2019 in Washington, DC.

In the Senate's overnight vote-a-rama, his offered amendments failed because the Democrats are uniting to pass the bill.

His amendments include:

  • Speeding up Medicare's ability to negotiate less pharmaceutical costs and expanded the list of drugs on which they could impose price caps. It failed 99-1.

  • The Sanders amendment to provide coverage for dental and oral health care, hearing care, and vision care under the Medicare program (5211, as modified) was turned down by a roll call vote of 97-3

  • An extension to the special rules for the child tax credit that applied for 2021 and to increase the corporate tax rate (5208, as modified) which was rejected by a roll call vote of 97-1

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., the last Democratic holdout on the bill, agreed Thursday to support the bill. She negotiated the removal of a provision to increase taxes on carried interests aimed at wealthy investors, resolving a key difference that withheld her support.

Senate moves forward: Senate Democrats push sweeping climate, health care bill as Republicans try to slow passage

Contributing: Ledyard King, Dylan Wells

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bernie Sanders: 'So-called' Inflation Reduction Act doesn't do enough