Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sponsored an amendment to H.R. 5376, introducing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, to invest roughly $369 billion in climate, clean energy, good jobs, and environmental justice, marking the single largest investment in climate action in U.S. history. The bill incentivizes clean renewable energy, domestic manufacturing, clean vehicles, innovative technologies, and energy efficiency that will save families hundreds of dollars annually, are tied to strong labor provisions, and include added incentives to invest in low-income and fossil-fuel impacted communities. This bill also made a historic $60 billion investment in environmental justice programs, including Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants, Clean Ports, Reconnecting Communities, Superfund tax reinstatement, and a methane emissions fee and reductions. At the same time, this bill includes provisions requiring oil and gas lease sales that, if successfully bid upon and subsequently approved for drilling, could subject frontline communities to further harm and are inconsistent with our climate and justice goals. Taken as a whole, however, the IRA is a once-in-a-generation bill that makes transformational investments to protect the planet from current and future climate devastation. On August 7, the Senate approved H.R. 5376, as amended, by a vote of 51- 50, with Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote (Senate roll call vote 325). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. The president signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law on August 16.

The Inflation Reduction Act is the single largest, transformational investment in climate solutions and environmental justice in U.S. history. As a result, LCV has made the decision to double-score this vote, a rarely used practice employed only for landmark bills.