The measure aimed at people not covered by Medicare was ultimately blocked from being included in the Inflation Reduction Act when it fell three votes short of the 60 needed to override a Senate lawmaker’s decision.
The seven Republicans who voted with the Democrats were Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.), Susan Collins (Maine), Josh Hawley (Mo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.), John Kennedy (La.), Lisa Murkowski ( Alaska). ) and Dan Sullivan (Alaska).
Many of the seven Republicans who sponsored the measure were highly critical of the reconciliation package in general — and all voted against the bill in its entirety.
Democrats won a partial victory when the lawmaker allowed the $35 insulin cap for Medicare beneficiaries to remain in place, which could affect prices in the private market.
The Inflation Reduction Act passed the Senate on Sunday 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote.
“While I don’t oppose everything about it, there is no doubt in my mind, based on both substance and process, the Senate should not have passed it,” Murkowski tweeted after the passage.
Kennedy had proposed his own amendment on the cost of insulin, but ended up siding with Democrats — though he called his colleagues a “special kind of idiot” for tax increases in the so-called deflationary law.
“Democratic tax and spending spree will do nothing to reduce inflation, but will increase the tax bill borne by everyday Americans,” Cassidy tweeted on Sunday. “I proudly voted no.”
Winners and losers from Democrats’ tax, health care and climate change bills Watchdog sounds alarm over Ukrainian nuclear plant bombing
Hyde-Smith released a statement calling the legislation “a long, forced path to more economic hardship and more government in our lives.”
The reconciliation bill emerged from a deal between Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (DN.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) and aims to invest in domestic energy and lower prescription drug costs by closing tax loopholes. loopholes in wealthy individuals and companies.
The Hill reached out to the offices of GOP senators who supported the insulin cap for comment.
