AFL-CIO Applauds Senate Passage of the Inflation Reduction Act

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on this week’s Senate victory for working people:

Today the Senate passed legislation that will transform the lives of working families at every level, and we urge the House of Representatives to pass this bill swiftly and send it to President Biden’s desk.

This bill will reshape the future and deliver real help to working families by reducing rising energy and health care costs. Enacting clean energy tax incentives with labor standards and domestic content requirements will create good-paying jobs in construction and manufacturing right here in America. And this legislation will address long overdue changes to our tax system that will finally make the most profitable corporations pay their fair share.

The Inflation Reduction Act will reduce climate pollution by 40%, keeping President Biden’s promise to make the United States a global leader in the fight against climate change. These incentives will spur the economic transformation we need to address the climate crisis, make clean energy more accessible and affordable and direct investments to underserved communities.

The effects of this legislation will improve the lives of millions of Americans struggling to afford health care, seniors trying to pay for their prescriptions and future generations who will be able to see the impacts of drastically reduced carbon emissions.

While this bill represents an incredible step forward, we know the fight for climate and economic justice is not over. The AFL-CIO’s 12.5 million members are united in support for this legislation, and we urge Congress to move quickly to get this passed and signed into law.