U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator:
On behalf of our 3 million members and the 50 million students they serve, we urge you to VOTE YES on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This historic legislation will make a difference in peoples’ lives, lowering healthcare and energy costs while making corporations pay a fairer share of taxes. Votes on this bill, including amendments, may be included in NEA’s report card for the 117th Congress.
PROVISIONS WE SUPPORT
We are especially pleased that the Inflation Reduction Act would:
- Make healthcare more accessible and affordable. Among other things, the bill would allow Medicare to negotiate the price of certain prescription drugs—a provision supported by three-quarters of Americans—and cap seniors’ annual out-of-pocket costs at $2,000. An additional 13 million people would be helped by the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that have lowered working families’ premiums by $800 annually on average—a provision supported by more than half of Americans. We also support capping or addressing the cost of insulin, and hope that is in the bill.
- Make the tax code fairer. The bill would impose a minimum tax of 15 percent on the largest corporations, ensuring they pay roughly the same rate as the average working taxpayer. It would provide the means for the IRS to reverse staff cuts and ensure compliance with tax laws and regulations, and close loopholes to raise additional revenue.
- Combat climate change. To address the climate crisis that threatens our future, the bill would support programs to accelerate the use of clean energy and reduce emissions, especially in rural and disadvantaged communities. It would put electric cars and the pump savings they bring within the reach of working families, lower utility bills, and strengthen America’s clean energy manufacturing base.
AMENDMENTS WE OPPOSE
During vote-a-rama, we urge you to oppose amendments that undermine this historic legislation or that introduce issues completely unrelated to healthcare, the tax code, or the climate crisis.
In particular, we urge to you VOTE NO on any amendment that:
- Is anti-immigrant and demonizes vulnerable populations.
- Seeks to cut or divert funding from public schools.
- Seeks to micromanage our nation’s 15,000 school districts and individual classrooms by mandating what can and cannot be taught. Former Republican Secretary of Education and Senate education committee chairman Lamar Alexander repeatedly warned that Congress should not be a national school board. Nevertheless, some politicians seek to whitewash history and deny our children an accurate, honest, and quality education.
- Cuts or diverts funding for healthcare, including Medicare and Medicaid.
With this underlying legislation, Congress has an opportunity to take important steps to reduce healthcare and energy costs, make our tax code fairer, and address the climate crisis—all of which are of enduring concern for our members. Please VOTE YES on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Sincerely,
Marc Egan
Director of Government Relations
National Education Association
