GOP Sen. Pat Toomey on Sunday criticized the Democratic-led climate, health care and tax deal crafted by Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, saying that was “really surprised” to see the The conservative West Virginia senator agrees with the proposal. During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the retired Pennsylvania lawmaker told co-host Jake Tapper that he valued his relationship with Manchin, but said the bill planned to come out of the deal would be “destruction. .” “I like Joe Manchin a lot — he and I became friends over the years we served together in the Senate,” Tomei said. “But it really seems to me that Joe Manchin has gone to the cleaners.” He continued: “And what does Joe get for that? He gets the promise that someday in the future, they’re going to pass some kind of energy infrastructure legislation. So, that’s a disaster. It’s going to make inflation worse. I’m not really going to be surprised that Joe agreed to it.” Manchin has played a hugely important role in the 50-50 Senate, where his vote can water down or kill everything from reconciliation legislation to judicial appointments, and has been tough on many of the biggest social spending proposals that many Democrats have tried. to pass. ; His support for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was a boon to party morale, as many had given up on climate legislation ahead of the November midterms, when Republicans could potentially win back a or both houses of Congress. The bill would greenlight a three-year extension of subsidies for people to buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, while also providing nearly $370 billion for climate and energy programs and $300 billion to reduce the federal deficit. budget. The bill would also bring in about $739 billion in revenue over the next decade, in part with a 15 percent minimum corporate tax on companies with more than $1 billion in net income. Toomey argued in the interview that the legislation would repeal the 2017 tax reform package signed by then-President Donald Trump. And Toomey said the bill would “do nothing” to fight climate change despite the huge investments made in the proposal, pointing out that many other countries do not have programs that would put a dent in overall emissions. “What we need is a strong economy and the ability to find the innovation and technology that will allow us on a massive commercial scale to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” he said. “But these gestures, while they may feel good, won’t do it.” Schumer and Manchin want to pass the legislation in August.
