President Joe Biden celebrated a legislative win for his administration, signing into law a hard-won climate, healthcare, and tax bill that the White House hopes will help propel Democrats through the November elections.
The legislation secured major agenda items for Biden and the Democratic Party after a struggle to reach an agreement with the full caucus for months. The bill passed with the help of Vice President Kamala Harris’s tiebreaking vote in the evenly divided Senate after 16 hours of amendment votes.
“It’s about tomorrow. It’s about delivering progress and prosperity to American families. It’s about showing America and the American people that democracy still works in America,” Biden said during the ceremony in the State Dining Room. “We’re delivering results.”
The president was joined by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), as well as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), whose support for the bill was essential.
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“Many seem surprised at your successes,” Clyburn said while introducing Biden in a nod to the challenges of his first year. “I am not. Because I know you. But more importantly, you know and respect the American people.”
Passing the bill with only 50 Democrats in the Senate was “nothing short of amazing,” Schumer said.
The celebration follows bill signings last week for legislation aimed at increasing U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and securing benefits for veterans affected by toxic burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The president interrupted his summer vacation to return to the White House for the event after spending the last week in South Carolina. He will travel to Delaware on Tuesday evening.
The sweeping $750 billion climate, healthcare, and tax bill, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, meets several key agenda items for the president, securing a historic climate investment, extending healthcare subsidies, and granting Medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices. It will also fund the IRS’s collection ability.
Despite its name, the bill is not expected to reduce inflation.
In his remarks, Biden insisted that “no one — let me emphasize it — no one earning less than $400,000 a year will pay a penny more in federal taxes.” The bill’s IRS investments have some worried that the middle class will face time-consuming, costly tax audits.
The bill’s passage comes three months before the midterm elections and adds to a string of legislative victories that top White House officials hope will build momentum heading into the fall.
After months of sliding approval polls, the string of victories comes at a crucial moment for Biden and shows progress in aligning broad differences in views across the party.
Biden thanked the lawmakers and then quipped to Manchin, “Joe, I never had a doubt.” The president did not take any questions from reporters.
A larger celebration is planned for Sept. 6.
Over the coming month, Biden officials and surrogates will hit the road to sell the administration’s policies to voters, part of an “aggressive” messaging push detailed in a Monday memo from White House deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon and special adviser Anita Dunn.
“Our goal for the next few weeks is simple: Take our message — one that we know resonates with key groups — and reach the American people where they are,” the memo reads.
In August alone, that outreach will see trips to 23 states by Cabinet members to tout the new bill and more.
Biden and his advisers hope the political momentum will boost the party through the November midterm elections. Already, Democrats are gaining ground in the generic congressional ballot.
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FiveThirtyEight’s Aug. 15 forecast shows Democrats with a half-percentage-point lead over Republicans in the generic ballot, with 43.9% compared to 43.4%.
While narrow, the advantage has grown since four weeks ago when Republicans held 44.7% support and Democrats 42.9%.
According to FiveThirtyEight, Democrats are slightly favored to retain the Senate, with Republicans still expected to take the House.
