The United States House of Representatives passed the Inflation Reduction Act on Friday amidst reported plans from Republicans to sabotage the bill down the line.
The bill, which passed the Senate on Sunday, will allocate $740 billion toward Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, Affordable Care Act subsidies, green energy subsidies and tax credits, and more.
Democrats claimed that the Inflation Reduction Act would allow Congress to pay down federal debt by leading to new federal revenue, but Republicans expressed strong concerns about the $80 billion allocated in new funding to the IRS (allowing for up to 87,000 new IRS employees) and argued that poorer Americans will subsequently face more audits.
House Republicans reportedly planned to sabotage the bill (and demonstrate to their base that they fought hard against the legislation) by getting as many members as possible to vote by proxy in efforts to deny Democrats a physical quorum, Axios reported on Friday.
Though the bill still passed, this potentially enables a company that has been affected by the bill’s tax provisions to challenge the new law’s constitutionality in court.
In a statement, the House Freedom Caucus Board called the bill a “monstrosity” and urged Republican leadership to deny House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) a lawful quorum.
“Unfortunately, Leadership has refused, thereby precluding a renewed, strengthened lawsuit against the unconstitutional practice of proxy voting and making it likely this bill becomes law unchallenged in the courts,” read the statement, issued by a group of over 30 House Republicans. “If enacted, HFC Members commit to repealing the toxic and radical provisions of the so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ in the next Republican Majority, and urge Republican Leadership to do likewise.”
The group added: “The so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ is a disastrous bill that will further exacerbate the already devastating burden of inflation, which surged 8.5% in July, with yet more out-of-control spending – on top of a foolhardy tax increase even as America falls into a recession.”
Source: Dailywire
