(CNN)If the U.S. House of Representatives soon passes the Senate's landmark climate change and healthcare bill, It will help examine the Democrats' monopoly of political power in Washington,and hand over Joe Bidena remarkable presidential legacy ahead of November's midterm elections.
Among the goals Democrats have pursued for decades, this law is the first to give Medicare the power to negotiate the cost of a limited prescription drug basket, thereby lowering costs. Extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies could save countless people on health insurance. And by spending about $370 billion to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, Biden's ambitious plan to build a clean energy economy could be nearly reached. The bill could also help restore US global leadership in the quest to save the planet by encouraging other countries to follow suit.
This victory was all the more remarkable as it was achieved against a fierce Republican opposition in the Senate by a vote of 50-50, leaving the Democrats without room for error. Moderate senators like West Virginia's Joe Manchin and Arizona's Kirsten Cinema pulled out concessions, and progressives had no choice but to accept the bill to save it. Senator Manchin of Coal State reinstated the bill after withdrawing his dissent late last month and agreeing to push for clean energy in exchange for concessions on fossil fuels.
the Senate finally passed it. It passed, and Vice President Kamala Harris got a draw on how it will affect American lives, how it will change the political climate, and how it will be reflected on the historical ledger years down the road. determined in a certain way. So even if the Democrats' achievements don't pay off in the ballot box anytime soon, they may not come to an end without notice in the long run.
How Voters and History Will Judge Democrats' Big Victory
If, as expected, the bill passes the House this week on the line of the party. , its real-world impact Can we meet the Democrats' call to cut our carbon footprint at a time when the deadly effects of climate change, including extreme floods, droughts and wildfires, are becoming increasingly apparent? How is it evaluated?
Republicans and the White House also said the bill would help older Americans struggling to pay for certain essential medicines and truly improve the quality of life for millions. He said it could have a huge impact on humans.
And by extending the Obamacare subsidy, the measure would lock in and extend one of the greatest achievements of his 21st-century Democratic dominance.
Also, like most legislation, it could take months or years to fully implement and lack immediate transformative political impact. There is a reaction to the election due to the establishment of
It is unclear whether this push to defend key pieces of Biden's agenda will save the president's rapidly dwindling political fortunes. His approval ratings are below his 40% mark and threatens to bring Democrats down in Washington in November and crush their hold on power. Democrats have faced a savage political storm for much of this year as the pandemic-weary country faced soaring gas and food prices.
According to recent polls, this legislative outcome could at least give voters a chance to reengage with them. Democrats can claim to have made the most extensive investment in history to combat climate change. This is an important consideration for generations. It is especially important for young voters living with global warming.
"This is an absolute, historic investment in climate change," White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy told CNN's Pamela Brown on Sunday, promoting clean energy, jobs. , touted the impact of this measure on consumer money savings.
On the other hand, now that Medicare has some bargaining power to get older voters into the polls, Democrats can emphasize lower drug prices.
Even Biden's fortunes, which have been plagued by crisis after crisis at home and abroad in recent weeks, appear to have turned around in recent weeks. Friday's strong jobs report helped allay fears that the economy was about to slip into recession. And the president presided over the murder of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan, somehow presiding over his reputation as a shrewd commander-in-chief that was tarnished by the chaotic end of the US war in the country. tried to repair.
And Republicans feel a gap. They are branding the Senate bill as another big spending bill that will exacerbate already soaring inflation. Economists are divided over Democrats' claim that the bill would cut the cost of living. But if daily costs continue to rise, what the truth is may not matter politically.
Senate Minority Mitch McConnell accuses Democrats of introducing 'huge job-killing tax hikes' and 'America's war on fossil fuels' at a time of high energy prices and immediately tried to confide the party's message in the midterm elections.
"The (Democratic) response to runaway inflation is a bill that experts say will not bring inflation down in any meaningful way," said a Kentucky Republican. "Americans are clear about their priorities. Environmental regulation is a 3% problem. Americans want solutions to inflation, crime and borders."
A powerful legacy, even if it doesn't translate into November.
Biden jumped right into Sunday's Senate vote as a sign of his presidency.
"Democrats in the Senate vote to support American households over specific interests, to lower prescription drugs, health insurance, and daily energy costs to cut the deficit, and vote for the richest." We finally got the companies to pay their fair share.” He hinted at how Democrats, who struggle to effectively advertise their victory as president, will pitch the bill to voters.
His passage of health care and climate change bills in the Senate has given Biden a domestic legacy unmatched by any recent Democratic president. This is the bipartisan infrastructure deal that sidestepped his two recent predecessors, the first major federal gun safety bill to pass in decades, and the White House's claim to have saved millions of children. It adds to Biden's previous successes in Congress, including a pandemic relief plan early in his presidency that he said. get out of poverty.
These achievements may not move Biden's political needle, especially if voters have already made up their minds about Biden's presidential run. The president's recent successes also seem unlikely to quell heated debates about whether he should run for re-election in 2024 when he's in his 80s. Biden's age problem hasn't gone away.
But even if the president doesn't get a significant short-term boost from his winning streak and the poll numbers rise significantly, the past few weeks have been essential to change the narrative about the presidency. . Most administrations are ultimately remembered for a handful of accomplishments that create a sort of narrative shorthand to encapsulate the president's place in history.
If global efforts to tackle climate change succeed in mitigating the most devastating impacts on our planet in the coming decades, other presidents who have served as presidents to respond to the threat Biden, who has done more than anyone else, will be: He remembered acting. The same would be true if the new era of electric vehicles were protected by energy law and the US started to turn its back on the internal combustion engine. It is the cornerstone of decades of American freedom of movement and prosperity.
Biden will also be credited by future historians for his role in building the Obama administration's progress in expanding access to health care. The Inflation Reduction Act is far from his early hopes of transforming home health care, increasing education funding, and offering dental and eye plans under Medicare. There are several reasons why Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders was so critical of the bill he later voted for despite his reservations.
"This proposed settlement does not go far enough to address the problems facing struggling working families. But it is a step forward and we are happy to support it." '” Sanders said in a statement.
But America's political success, from civil rights to social care, has almost always been gradual, with one presidency building on the interests of another. has been brought down. That's more and more true in recent years, given the vicious and widening political divisions of modern Americans.
So the Democrats, who could lose their majority in November, could at least save themselves by knowing they hadn't squandered their power lease as they seemed to for months. may be able to comfort
