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Amy Klobuchar
I emailed Senator Amy Klobuchar a couple of weeks ago and asked her some general questions about the economy, housing issues, Medicare and drug prescription costs, clean (green) energy, and taxes. Here is her response that was received Tuesday, August 9.
“Thank you for sharing your thoughts regarding economic issues. I wanted to provide you with an update. I was a strong advocate of the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed the Senate this week. This bill will lower costs for American families, bring down drug prices and protect people’s health care, lower energy costs and combat climate change, and bring down the deficit.
“I have been fighting to lower prescription drug costs since I came to the Senate. Based on legislation I have long championed, the Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act, the Inflation Reduction Act will lift the 20-year ban that stops Medicare from being able to negotiate prices directly with drug companies on behalf of 46 million seniors. By 2030, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get 80 medications at negotiated prices, and that number will climb each year after. It will also cap the amount seniors with Medicare Part D can pay for prescription drugs to $2,000 a year. And, the bill will lower premiums for individuals and families buying health insurance on the individual market.
“The Inflation Reduction Act is also the largest single investment the federal government has made to tackle the climate crisis. I have called for the United States to have a carbon neutral economy by 2050, and this bill will reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030, putting that goal within reach. The Inflation Reduction Act invests in climate change programs and tax credits that will lower energy costs, increase cleaner energy production, encourage more energy efficiency in our homes, and create good paying jobs. It includes provisions based on my bipartisan bill with Senator Joni Ernst, the Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Product Market Expansion Act, to provide major investments for the installation of blender pumps to distribute higher blends of biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel.
“Critically, the legislation is fully paid for by making sure large corporations and the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share of taxes. It will not raise taxes on those making less than $400,000, and it will reduce the deficit by over $300 billion. I will always fight to improve Minnesotans’ economic security. While passage of the Inflation Reduction Act is an important step, I am also committed to working to lower the cost of and expand access to quality, safe child care, increasing housing supply and affordability, and make apprenticeship programs and skills training more accessible.
“Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I continue to be humbled to be your Senator, and one of the most important parts of my job is listening to the people of Minnesota. I am here in our nation’s capital to do the public’s business. I hope you will contact me again about matters of concern to you.”
Sincerely, Amy Klobuchar, United States Senator
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