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Friday marks the second anniversary of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, signed by President Joe Biden on Aug. 16, 2022.
President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, the single largest step ever taken by Congress to fight climate change. Two years later, IRA-sponsored programs are supercharging state efforts nationwide to reduce energy costs and emissions while creating new jobs.
Early next year, Washingtonians will be able to apply for rebates to electrify their homes and purchase energy-efficient appliances. Another IRA-funded rebate program will help pay for insulation and other energy-saving home improvements. The IRA is sponsoring community solar farms and rooftop panels above homes and apartment buildings. It’s funding federal tax credits to make home solar panels and battery storage systems more affordable. It’s providing upfront discounts for electric vehicles and supporting the state’s development of a statewide charging network. It’s also creating jobs in renewable energy by stimulating massive demand for clean electricity, batteries, electric cars, building materials, and other components of the clean economy. And it includes funding to help farms and businesses reduce emissions.
The act also reduced health care and prescription drug costs for Washingtonians. Runaway drug costs are now restrained by law and insulin costs are capped at $35 per month for Medicare recipients. At last, Medicare may negotiate prices for expensive medications, saving American taxpayers billions. On Thursday, the White House announced new deals to slash prices for 10 of the most expensive drugs covered by Medicare by 38 to 79%.
“Washingtonians will take deep satisfaction knowing our decades-long vision of a clean energy economy creating good, family wage jobs all across America is coming closer to reality,” said Gov. Jay Inslee in 2022 before the IRA’s passage. “The House of Representatives should pass the Inflation Reduction Act this week so that President Biden may sign it into law – a day all Americans will remember.”
That date would be August 16, 2022. On this second anniversary, Inslee’s prediction has proven prescient.
U.S. UC-123B Provider aircraft spray Agent Orange defoliant for Operation Ranch Hand in the Vietnam War in 1970. (Image courtesy of the U.S. Air Force)
During the Vietnam War, Americans sprayed a powerful herbicide called ‘Agent Orange’ to defoliate the dense jungle and expose trenches and troops beneath. During the Iraq War, troops destroyed refuse in huge, open burn pits. Toxic smoke from burning plastics and rubber wafted up from the pits and throughout military bases. Both practices led to large-scale health issues among military servicemembers and locals. Thanks to the 2022 passage of the ‘Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act” (PACT Act), veterans exposed to these and other toxic hazards have a much easier time documenting their disability and qualifying for benefits.
Anticipating a surge in claims, Gov. Jay Inslee proposed funding to hire more employees at the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. The Legislature also enhanced funding for county veteran service officers.
Those investments were prudent. Claims have more than doubled, increasing from 8,619 in 2022 to 17,336 in 2024. At the national level, the number of claims filed for PACT Act benefits has exceeded 1 million and the VA has delivered more than $6.8 billion to veterans and survivors.
Veterans or family members with questions about the PACT Act and other earned benefits may reach out to a local Veteran Service Officer (VSO). Email [email protected], call 1-800-562-2308, or visit https://www.dva.wa.gov/resources to find a VSO near you.
2024 Washington Governor’s Smart Communities Award winners announced
The state Department of Commerce announced of the annual Governor’s Smart Communities Award this week. The awards recognize planning excellence from local governments. This year, the City of Renton was recognized for its Sunset Gardens affordable housing project to help lower-income seniors. The City of Spokane was recognized for a stormwater improvement project that will improve water quality, reduce water usage, and even open up a new disc golf course and walking trails.
Ballooning inflation is starting to deflate
Inflation and high prices have been burdensome for Americans, but things are turning around. Inflation has fallen below 3%, the lowest level since April 2021. For 17 consecutive months now, wages have outpaced inflation. Nearly 16 million new jobs have opened nationwide, and unemployment is at a 50-year low. And legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act are holding down drug and health care prices.
UW awarded $21 million for cancer research
The University of Washington is pioneering stem cell imaging techniques to advance cancer research. Their promising new technology could allow surgeons to examine tissue after surgery to see whether cancer cells remain. Their research will enjoy a $21 million boost from the Cancer Moonshot initiative led by President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.
Federal government awards $8 million to Washington for accessible housing initiative
The Biden-Harris Administration this week announced a $140 million grant program to expand affordable housing for people with disabilities nationwide. The Washington State Department of Commerce was awarded $8 million of that total. The funding will help 18 state housing agencies, including ours, to develop strategies to find and refer people with disabilities to housing and assistance for which they qualify.
Weigh in on Washington’s first-ever LGBTQ+ survey
The Washington LGBTQ Commission has published a new survey to ask LGBTQ Washingtonians about their experiences. Findings will inform policy recommendations made to the governor and the Legislature to help make Washington a more equitable and inclusive place for us all. Take the survey at https://lgbtq.wa.gov/survey.
Washington to send first business delegation to Gamescom
Three Washington state companies will join international trade experts from the state Department of Commerce at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany later this month. It will be the first-ever state-sponsored trip to the world’s largest video game trade show, drawing 320,000 visitors last year.
“Washington has more than 200 video game publishers and developers, employing 23,000 workers,” said Commerce’s International Trade Specialist Julie Monahan. “Some of the world’s most well-known companies are located in Washington, including Valve, PopCap, Big Fish, Microsoft and Nintendo. Gamescom not only allows us to showcase the state as an industry leader but also introduce innovative new companies that plan to take gaming to the next level.”
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