Senate Passes Inflation Reduction Act With Party Line Vote, Tiebreaker From VP Kamala Harris

After 16 hours of voting, the U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, positioning Democrats on the verge of a legislative victory for several key party agenda items.

The bill, long delayed by debates on spending, addresses a number of core focuses for the Biden administration, including lowering healthcare costs, fighting climate change, and reducing the deficit. Senators began holding votes on various amendments to the bill on Saturday night, and deliberations moved into Sunday afternoon before it was eventually passed through the budget reconciliation process.

The vote fell on party lines, but Vice President Kamala Harris exercised her authority as vice-president to break the tie, resulting in the bill’s 51-50 passage in the Senate. The bill will now move to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass, and then it will be sent to the White House, where President Joe Biden will sign it into law.

The bill’s passage was met with cheers from Democrats, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) followed up by applauding those who saw the bill through to this point.

Watch above, via CNN.