How Democrats’ surprise climate and health care bill came together after months of setbacks and reversals

The Inflation Reduction Act, aimed at addressing climate change, taxes, and health care, passed by the House Friday after a surprise deal fueled by ultimatums and Zoom calls.

WASHINGTON — Like many others in this town, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema first saw the news on Twitter.

Her fellow centrist Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, had cut a surprise deal with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on a sweeping climate, health care and tax package that most people in their party had left for dead.

Sinema was blindsided, said a source close to the senator. She hadn’t been included in the secret Manchin-Schumer talks; she hadn’t been consulted before the agreement was announced either.

But the Arizona Democrat wasn’t upset at being left out. She could count to 50 and knew that Manchin and Schumer would need to come to her eventually to get her vote in the evenly divided Senate where Republicans would surely unite in opposition.

House passes Inflation Reduction Act, sends to Biden's deskAug. 12, 202204:32Democrats had toiled for a year and a half, trying to get Manchin and Sinema on board with President Joe Biden’s signature domestic agenda. Build Back Better would remake the U.S. economy and social safety net by investing trillions in child and senior care, universal preschool and free community college, in addition to combating climate change and lowering the cost of health care. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-surprise-climate-health-care-bill-came-together-months-setba-rcna42646


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