Will Donald Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress kill the Inflation Reduction Act?
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
BONTA, COLLEAGUES URGE CONGRESS TO SPARE THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT
It’s Inauguration Day, and Washington, D.C. is about to get very different for at least the next few years, as the GOP cements its lock on the executive and legislative branches of the federal government.
President-elect Donald Trump is set to take his oath of office (indoors, because it’s cold in D.C.) at noon Eastern Time, 9 a.m. Pacific Time.
The nation’s capital is likely to be a flurry of activity, as Trump is anticipated to sign dozens, if not hundreds, of executive orders, rolling back as much of his predecessor President Joe Biden’s impact as he can.
That may include going after the Inflation Reduction Act, one of Biden’s signature achievements. But doing so would likely require the help of Congress, and so California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 16 other attorneys general have written to congressional leaders — Democrat and Republican — urging them to keep the provisions of the law in place.
“Repealing the IRA would be a grave mistake for our nation, and we urge Congress to preserve this landmark legislation, which has already and will continue to deliver substantial benefits to American families, workers and businesses,” Bonta said in a statement Friday.
The letter cites some of the victories achieved by the IRA, and points out that it benefits Republican constituents as well as Democratic ones.
“As a result of the IRA, our nation is strengthening domestic energy security, reducing energy costs, diversifying our domestic energy resources, rebuilding our domestic manufacturing economy, bolstering and modernizing critical infrastructure, and creating well-paying jobs while simultaneously reducing harmful pollution,” the letter reads in part.
The 2022 Act, passed in the weeks after the annual rate of inflation topped 9%, included spending on clean energy initiatives, more tax law enforcement, health care subsidies and a path to lower some prescription drug prices.
We’ll see whether such a letter is convincing to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota.
LARA, HOCHMAN TEAM UP TO PROSECUTE INSURANCE FRAUD
California’s deadly wildfires sometimes make for strange political bedfellows.
One such unusual alliance was formed last week, as California’s Democratic Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara teamed up with Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, a Republican-turned-independent, to go after those who fraudulently pose as insurers to people whose homes were devastated by the Southern California fires.
“Scammers exploit vulnerable times, preying on survivors with false promises and fraudulent schemes,” Lara said in a statement. “We’ve seen this in past wildfires.”
In his own statement, Hochman warned scammers they would not get away with it.
“Our office is on high alert for insurance scams and we will relentlessly pursue and seek the maximum punishment for the criminals who seek to exploit the victims of the LA County fires,” Hochman said.
The two elected officials announced that they have teams in place to help homeowners and prosecute criminals.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“TikTok’s future will turn on politics, not on today’s ruling by the Supreme Court. But make no mistake, by allowing the ban to go into effect, the Supreme Court has weakened the First Amendment and markedly expanded the government’s power to restrict speech in the name of national security. Its implications for TikTok may be limited, but the ruling creates the space for other repressive policies in the future.”
- Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight Institute, which advocates on behalf of free speech and a free press, in a statement.
Best of The Bee:
How two Sacramento printmakers made TikTok history with vintage newspaper presses, via Jennah Pendleton.
Sacramento animal shelter rescues pets from Los Angeles wildfires. How can you adopt one? Via Marcus. D. Smith.
California courts are underfunded, leading to delays in cases, chief justice says, via Sharon Bernstein.
Sacramento State announces $45 million budget cut. What the California university faces, via Emma Hall.
California AG Rob Bonta investigates wildfire price gouging. He also has a warning for Trump, via Andrew Sheeler.
This story was originally published January 20, 2025 at 4:55 AM with the headline "Will Donald Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress kill the Inflation Reduction Act?."