Rep. David Price’s final session of Congress might be among his busiest. The Democratic House Representative representing much of the Triangle-area’s U.S. House District 4 announced last October he would be retiring at the end of his term after more than 30 years in office.
In the ongoing session, Price helped pass legislation representing Democratic party policy goals on issues like gun control and climate change.
Most recently, Democrats were able to pass the Inflation Reduction Act on August 12 after many months of debate in the House and Senate. The bill is a cornerstone of Democratic president Joe Biden’s economic agenda. The wide-ranging legislation seeks to fight inflation, invest in domestic energy production and cut emission by 40 percent by 2030. The bill also allows Medicare to negotiate for prescription drug prices and extends the Affordable Care Act program through 2025.
Opponents in the Republican Party said the bill needlessly increases spending and will make inflation worse or have no effect. But Price said helping Americans save on healthcare costs will make a big difference for the wallets of working Americans.
“There’s no question,” he said. “When you look at what people are paying for healthcare especially, this is going to reduce their costs and therefore reduce inflation.”
Price called the bill a significant achievement and highlighted large investments in incentives for Americans to cut emissions in their homes and cars.
The bill passed with a 220-to-207 vote in the House. No Republicans in the House or Senate voted for the bill. Price said polarization in the House, and a Republican Party increasingly unwilling to come to the negotiation table are why Congress is often stuck in gridlock.
“There’s a kind of die-hard element in the Republican Party which sometimes dominates the party in the House, which still holds out on these things,” The Chapel Hill-born Democrat said. “But we’ve had enough Republican support, particularly in the Senate to overcome the filibuster and get these things done.”
The filibuster, which is the Senate rule resulting in the majority needing 60 or more votes to pass legislation, continues to be an obstacle to legislation in Congress, Price said. While Democratic lawmakers saw success in recent months, the congressman foresees gridlock over future bills, like 2023’s fiscal appropriations bills.
Locally, Price said, the IRA’s investment in chip technology could make a big splash in our area.
“We stand to gain a whole lot by have the revitalization of the chip business in the U.S. and also the revitalization of scientific research,” he said. “We look to be big winners. North Carolina State, and other North Carolina institutions have long punched above their weight in clean energy research.”
The IRA’s health care provisions could also make a big difference for Orange County, Price said, as lawmakers seek to bring drug prices under control.
Photo by Julia Wall/The News & Observer and Associated Press.
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