The agreement is a major reversal for Democrats who had narrowed their ambitions for the package to addressing looming lapses in the Affordable Care Act and changes to prescription drug prices.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., talks with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., on March 15, 2022. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., have released preliminary details of a bill to address climate change, taxes, health care and inflation.
The new agreement aims to"reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030" and address inflation while also reducing the deficit, according to documents released by Schumer and Manchin. Full text of the bill is not yet available. Schumer plans to submit the bill to the Senate parliamentarian for review on Wednesday night in order to start votes on the bill next week.
Manchin became the leading voice of opposition to major spending as inflation concerns grew in the country. He was able to single-handedly drive the talks because Democrats need unanimous support to pass the bill in the evenly divided Senate.