Joe Manchin — Yes, That Joe Manchin — May Be Paving the Way For Major Climate Legislation

July 30, 2022 | Author: 4U.S.Integrity | Posted in U.S. Government

We have a deal…maybe. After upending negotiations with his party on a reconciliation bill two weeks ago, seemingly dooming the possibility of any legislation addressing climate change for the foreseeable future, West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin pulled another about-face Wednesday: He and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have reached an agreement, he said, on a massive climate and tax package — a bill his staff wrote, and that could potentially pass through the upper chamber without Republican support. “It’s like two brothers from different mothers, I guess,” Manchin told Politico of his talks with Schumer. “He gets pissed off, I get pissed off, and we’ll go back and forth.”

“We just worked through it,” Manchin said.

The surprise agreement — which includes $369 billion in climate and energy spending and $300 billion in deficit reduction measures — was announced hours after Republicans joined with Democrats to pass a $280 billion CHIPS Plus bill, and revived hopes that the United States could take significant action on climate change during this congress. “I think this is a very, very major step forward,” Pramila Jayapal, chair of the House Progressive Caucus, told CNN. But there are still major hurdles to clear before Congress makes its biggest-ever climate legislation investment: First, Democrats will have to determine if the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 can be passed on a party-line vote. Then, they’ll have to determine if everyone in their party is on board. Which is to say: Will Kyrsten Sinema support it?

Like Manchin, the Arizona Democrat has repeatedly thwarted her party’s agenda over the last year and a half, often through her unwavering commitment to the Senate filibuster. And while she’s generally regarded as being more supportive of environmental measures than her fellow holdout, who has close ties to the fossil fuels industry, it’s unclear if she will support the tax increases that will be used to fund the climate change action under the proposal. She previously voiced support for a 15% corporate minimum tax. But, as Axios noted, it remains to be seen if she will continue to back that increase with Washington buzzing about inflation and a potential recession. Sinema has also opposed taxing carried interest, an element of the new proposal Manchin described as the “only thing I was adamant about.”

“We do not have a comment,” a Sinema spokesperson told the outlet after Manchin announced the deal, “as she will need to review the text.”

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Sinema’s caginess gives reason to be wary. But, should she support it, Democrats could pass a truly significant piece of legislation — just weeks after their once-ambitious domestic agenda appeared deflated (electric vehicle tax credits, for instance, would only be available to those earning less than $75,000 a year, but would be for both new and used cars). Some of the details remain foggy. And, of course, there are the perennial concerns that Manchin could once again move the goalposts.