Shelby Statement on Democrats’ Reconciliation Legislation

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement on H.R.5376, the Democrats' reconciliation bill, following its passage on the Senate floor:

"The so-called 'Inflation Reduction Act' will result in increased costs for hardworking Americans, further crushing families' budgets and savings. Democrats are spending $870 billion to raise taxes and swell the cost of living while the American people are enduring record-high inflation and a declining economy. This makes no sense. Right now, Congress should be focused on reducing costs and growing economic investment, not spending $80 billion to double the size and scope of the IRS and hundreds of billions of dollars to combat climate change. The policies created in this legislation are not what Americans want, nor are they what Americans need. I am disappointed that my Senate Democratic colleagues supported this legislation knowing it fails the American people."

Senator Shelby did not support the legislation, which was approved in the Senate by a vote of 51-50. He did offer an amendment to the bill, which would have required the Secretary of Interior to complete pending Lease by Application processes for both metallurgical and thermal coal through the Bureau of Land Management's Lease by Application program. Currently, the Bureau of Land Management's Lease by Application Program for all federal coal leases is frozen due to action by the Biden Administration. The mining of metallurgical and thermal coal is essential to the success of the U.S. economy and provides thousands of jobs nationwide.

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