Some budget experts had assumed that certain conditions imposed on tax credits for electric vehiclesincluding restrictions on the origin of car battery materials, went against budget rules guiding the process Democrats are using to pass their bill by simple majority and evade the filibuster.
Under the current proposal, a car is only eligible for full credit if the batteries were made with materials from the United States or from countries that have trade agreements with the United States – a requirement that some say experts, will make it very difficult to obtain the tax credit.
But those provisions may apparently stay in the package — a move likely to please Sen. Joe Manchin (DW.Va.), who wanted the restrictions to reduce the electric vehicle industry’s reliance on China.
“The finance committee’s clean energy tax package complies with Senate rules, and important provisions to ensure our clean energy future is built in America have been approved by the congressman,” Wyden said in a statement. “I am particularly pleased that our current salary provisions have been approved. These provisions guarantee wage rates for clean energy projects. Clean energy jobs will be well-paying jobs.
Saturday’s procedural hurdle, once cleared by Democrats, will trigger up to 20 hours of debate evenly divided by Democrats and Republicans. But both parties should not use their full time.
Instead, senators are likely eager to begin a marathon amendment process known as a vote-a-rama, in which the GOP will stage a series of politically sensitive votes for Democrats in hopes of amending. the party line package more than a year. in the making. The Senate must endure the marathon of amendments before Democrats can finally approve it.
Democrats are waiting to see if they can include provisions allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of some expensive drugs and if they can penalize drug companies for raising prices for people with private health insurance faster than the ‘inflation.
Republicans argued that the savings from the mandate involving the private insurance market, in particular, could be seen as a fiscal side effect of the policy rather than its primary purpose, which would violate Senate budget rules. .
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