LindseyGraham.com





The so-called Inflation Reduction Act promoted by Sens. Manchin
and Schumer will not bring down inflation but it will increase
taxes.















John,

Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin's tax-and-spend proposal will do
nothing to fix inflation.

I wrote an editorial that was published on Fox News' website.
Please read my full explanation of why I will not be supporting
the so-called "Inflation Reduction Act."

Please read it below and share with friends and family.

Sincerely,



Lindsey Graham
United States Senator










By Sen. Lindsey Graham | Fox News

It's easier to believe the Taliban actually did not know al Qaeda
Leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was living in Kabul in a home owned by a
senior aide to the number two Taliban commander than it is to
believe Democrats "Inflation Reduction Act" will actually reduce
inflation.

To say that I'm opposed to the most recent Manchin-Schumer
tax-and-spend proposal is an understatement.

My point is simple. The American Rescue Plan, passed last year,
did not rescue the economy. The Inflation Reduction Act, set to
be passed and signed into law very soon, is not going to reduce
inflation.

If you don't believe me, listen to outside organizations like
Penn Wharton and the Congressional Budget Office sound the alarm.


This legislation is not only disingenuous, packed with flaws and
bad for Americans - it is procedurally dangerous for the future
of the United States Senate.

According to the Penn Wharton Budget Model - a metric that Sen.
Manchin previously stated he trusted - the bill increases
inflation. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the
so-called "Inflation Reduction Act" would have a negligible
effect on inflation, either good or bad. Those are hardly
ringing endorsements in the effort to sell the legislation as an
inflation reducer.

However, on tax increases, the record is very clear. According to
the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, the bill includes
billions of dollars in taxes that will be passed on to consumers.
The legislation pulls money out of the pockets of Americans
already struggling to make ends meet due to record Biden
inflation, especially those who make well below $400,000 a year.

In addition to passing increased costs along to the American
consumer, the bill drives up gas prices by increasing gas taxes
at a time when motorists can least afford it. Under this
proposal, the Democrats impose a 16.4 cent tax on a barrel of
imported oil, resurrecting a tax that expired in 1995.
Previously, the tax was 9.7 cents. It's coming back at 16.4
cents, adding billions of dollars of increases to gasoline
production. It's not a good idea to raise gas taxes during a
recession.

I want to be on record and crystal clear that when it comes time
to funding the government through a continuing resolution - I
will gladly do so - but I will not support a continuing
resolution that has political paybacks even on policies I agree
with.

The bill also includes a $27 billion "green bank," money for the
IRS to audit middle class Americans, tax hikes during a
recession, ObamaCare subsidies for the wealthy, and increased
costs for domestic energy production.

This legislation is not only disingenuous, packed with flaws and
bad for Americans - it is procedurally dangerous for the future
of the United States Senate.

The full Manchin-Schumer package is contained in two separate
legislative vehicles - reconciliation and a future continuing
resolution.

Without getting too far into the weeds of the Senate's
procedures, most of the provisions backed by the liberal Left can
pass through the Senate via reconciliation, an infrequently used
process that only requires a majority vote of 50 Senators. If all
Democrats hang together, which is likely, this reckless
tax-and-spend bill will pass the Senate with only Democrats
voting in favor.

The second part of Manchin-Schumer is a side-deal to streamline
permitting and opening certain oil and gas pipelines. It will be
part of a continuing resolution which requires 60 votes to pass,
meaning at least 10 Republicans will need to support.

It appears Senate Democrats promised to complete the political
deal with Sen. Manchin by placing all of the energy expansion and
permitting initiatives in the continuing resolution since they
couldn't nest it cleanly in this budget bill.

Think "Cornhusker Kickback" of ObamaCare on a continuing
resolution. This is a dangerous precedent to set because it
erodes minority rights.

I want to be on record and crystal clear that when it comes time
to funding the government through a continuing resolution - I
will gladly do so - but I will not support a continuing
resolution that has political paybacks even on policies I agree
with.

I would encourage all of my Republican colleagues to come up with
energy production proposals specific to their states. Challenge
our Democratic colleagues that if we're going to change energy
policy in one area, let's change it in all areas. Every state
should benefit. All boats should rise, not just one or two.

I doubt the radical left will allow or vote for meaningful energy
production ideas like this. It is imperative that we not
legitimize this process because there will be no end to it.

The best way forward is for the government to be funded without
strings attached and stop playing politics on continuing
resolutions. If we legitimize this then over time reconciliation
plus policy initiatives attached to government funding will do
major damage to the rights of the minority.

Manchin-Schumer is bad policy and does enough damage on its own.
The last thing we should do is compound the problem which is
exactly what this latest backdoor legislative maneuver seeks to
do.

I personally like Senators Manchin and Sinema. On occasion, both
have stood up for the institution of the Senate, preserving the
legislative filibuster under extreme pressure.

Sen. Manchin is from one of the reddest states in the country and
Sen. Sinema represents truly a purple state. I have worked with
both on infrastructure, legislation to keep guns out of the hands
of unstable people, and tried to move the Senate forward,
together. Their latest efforts to join with Sen. Schumer to pass
this legislation is ill-conceived, irresponsible and will create
further burdens on the American people in a time they can least
afford it.

While I have shown a willingness to work with them, I have an
equal willingness to oppose bad ideas no matter who they come
from.

That's why I will not be supporting using the continuing
resolution as a political payoff vehicle because to go down this
road fundamentally changes the Senate.



































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