Rep. Schrier Votes to Bring Down Health Care and Prescription Drug Costs, Invest in Combating Climate Change
WASHINGTON, DC – Today Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that will bring down costs for families and invest in concrete ways to slow climate change. The bill now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law. Rep. Schrier’s floor remarks can be found here.
“This bill brings much needed relief to my constituents who are feeling the weight of inflation and high gas prices. It helps families continue to afford health insurance. And it takes important steps to tackle this rapidly changing climate that presents new threats and disasters every year. Finally!” said Rep. Schrier. “And it does this all by making sure the wealthiest corporations pay their fair share of taxes like we all do, and without raising taxes for middle class families. This bill is a series of wins for the people I represent in Washington’s 8th District.”
The Inflation Reduction Act will cut costs and invest in combating climate change by:
- Allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices
- Capping annual out of pocket costs for Medicare recipients at $2,000, saving them thousands of dollars a year
- Capping insulin costs for seniors at $35/month
- Penalizing drug companies for unfairly hiking prices
- Investing in forest resiliency to prevent catastrophic wildfires
- Supporting small forest landowners to improve forest health
- Funding climate-smart agriculture programs
- Boosting clean energy manufacturing in the U.S.
- Creating credits for new and used electric vehicles
- Investing in a reliable 21st Century electric grid
- Providing home energy efficiency rebates
- Reducing air pollution by providing funding to ports to reduce emissions, and cracking down on oil and gas companies that have significant methane leakage