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Biden Administration, Climate Action, Economic Development, Economic Policies, Economy, Health Care, News & Photo Features

FACT SHEET: Two Years In, the Inflation Reduction Act is Lowering Costs for Millions of Americans, Tackling the Climate Crisis, and Creating Jobs

Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden in Largo, Maryland on the two-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act celebrate historic reductions in drug prices negotiated by Medicare for the first time.  The Inflation Reduction Act is transforming American lives by finally beating Big Pharma to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, making the largest investment in clean energy and climate action in history, creating hundreds of thousands good-paying jobs, lowering health care and energy costs, and making the tax code fairer. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com via MSNBC.

Two years ago, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote in Congress. Not a single Republican voted for it and Trump/Vance and the Republicans vow to repeal it and replace it with Project 2025 laundry list of policies which will harm working and middle-class families. and undermine progress toward an equitable, sustainable economy. –Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Inflation Reduction Act is a key part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, which has driven the fastest and most equitable recovery on record – creating good-paying jobs, expanding opportunity, and lowering costs in every corner of the country.

Already, the Inflation Reduction Act is transforming American lives by finally beating Big Pharma to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, making the largest investment in clean energy and climate action in history, creating hundreds of thousands good-paying jobs, lowering health care and energy costs, and making the tax code fairer.

Visit the White House Savings Explorer to see how Americans are saving money on their annual expenses because of the Inflation Reduction Act and other Biden-Harris Administration actions.

Statement from President Joe Biden on Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary 

Two years ago, I signed the Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history that is lowering energy costs and creating good-paying union jobs, while taking on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug costs—with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Already, this law is lowering health care costs for millions of families, strengthening energy security, and creating more than 330,000 clean energy jobs according to outside groups.  It has also unleashed $265 billion in clean energy and manufacturing investments from the private sector in the last two years—part of the nearly $900 billion invested in America since we took office.

This historic legislation is fiscally responsible. It lowers the deficit over the long run by cutting wasteful spending on special interests and making big corporations and the wealthy pay more of their fair share. And just yesterday, my Administration announced lower prescription drug prices for the first ten drugs that have been negotiated by Medicare, which will cut the prices of drugs used to treat blood clots, heart disease, cancer, and more by nearly 40% to 80%, and save taxpayers $6 billion in the first year alone.

While Republicans in Congress try to repeal this law—which would increase prescription drug costs and take good-paying jobs away from their constituents, all to give massive tax cuts to big corporations—Vice President Harris and I will keep fighting to move our country forward by investing in America and giving families more breathing room.

Statement from President Joe Biden on Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary 

Two years ago, I signed the Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history that is lowering energy costs and creating good-paying union jobs, while taking on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug costs—with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Already, this law is lowering health care costs for millions of families, strengthening energy security, and creating more than 330,000 clean energy jobs according to outside groups.  It has also unleashed $265 billion in clean energy and manufacturing investments from the private sector in the last two years—part of the nearly $900 billion invested in America since we took office.

This historic legislation is fiscally responsible. It lowers the deficit over the long run by cutting wasteful spending on special interests and making big corporations and the wealthy pay more of their fair share. And just yesterday, my Administration announced lower prescription drug prices for the first ten drugs that have been negotiated by Medicare, which will cut the prices of drugs used to treat blood clots, heart disease, cancer, and more by nearly 40% to 80%, and save taxpayers $6 billion in the first year alone.

While Republicans in Congress try to repeal this law—which would increase prescription drug costs and take good-paying jobs away from their constituents, all to give massive tax cuts to big corporations—Vice President Harris and I will keep fighting to move our country forward by investing in America and giving families more breathing room.

FACT SHEET: Two Years In, the Inflation Reduction Act is Lowering Costs for Millions of Americans, Tackling the Climate Crisis, and Creating Jobs

In the two years since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law:

  • Just yesterday, the President and Vice President announced that, for the first time in history, Medicare successfully negotiated lower prescription drug prices, which will save millions of seniors, people with disabilities, and other Medicare beneficiaries over $1.5 billion out-of-pocket in the first year. 
    • Millions of Americans are saving an average of $800 per year on health insurance premiums because of cost savings from the American Rescue Plan that the Inflation Reduction Act extended, helping drive the nation’s uninsured rate to historic lows. 4 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries saved money on insulin because of the law’s cap at $35 for a month’s supply. 10.3 million Medicare enrollees received a free vaccine in 2023, saving them more than $400 million in out-of-pocket vaccine costs.
       The IRS successfully piloted Direct File in 12 states, saving 140,000 people an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees by enabling them to file their taxes directly with the IRS online, for free. And, the IRS has recovered over $1 billion by cracking down on millionaire tax cheats since the law passed. 
       Last year, 3.4 million Americans benefited from $8.4 billion in Inflation Reduction Act tax credits to lower the cost of clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades in their homes – significantly outpacing projections of the popularity of the tax credits in just the first year they were available.
       Since January 2024, more than 250,000 Americans have claimed the IRA’s electric vehicle tax credit, saving these buyers about $1.5 billion total. Nearly all of these buyers claimed the incentive at the point of sale.
       Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, companies have announced$900 billion in clean energy and manufacturing investments in the US, including over $265 billion in clean energy investments since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law. These investments are creating over 330,000 new jobs in the United States according to an outside group. 
       
    • Economically distressed areas are poised to benefit the most from those investments. Over 99% of high-poverty counties in the United States are benefitting from an Investing in America project funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, or CHIPS and Science Act. According to Treasury Department analysis, since the Inflation Reduction Act passed, 75% of private sector clean energy investments have flowed to counties with lower than median household incomes,  and clean energy investment in energy communities has doubled.  And, the Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment in environmental justice in history.

Additionally, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to protect the critical investments that the Inflation Reduction Act is making in the domestic clean energy economy from unfair trade practices. In May, President Biden increased tariffs on $18 billion of Chinese imports to combat China’s artificially low-priced exports in strategic sectors such as electric vehicles, batteries, and solar. These actions protect American jobs, businesses, investments, and economic growth. 

Lowering health care costs for millions of Americans

President Biden and Vice President Harris have made expanding access to high-quality, affordable health care and lowering prescription drug costs for American families a top priority. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, health care is more accessible and more affordable than ever before.  In just the last two years:

  • The law enhanced the Affordable Care Act’s financial assistance that is available to consumers to purchase health insurance. Millions of Americans are saving, on average, about $800 a year on their health insurance plans, with more than 80 percent of consumers able to find health insurance for $10 or less a month. As a result, a record-breaking 21 million people signed up for ACA coverage in 2024. That’s 9 million more than when the President and Vice President took office, and more underserved communities are enrolling in coverage, with 1.7 million Black Americans and 3.4 million Latinos enrolled, a 95% and 103% increase, respectively, since 2020.
    • The Inflation Reduction Act capped insulin costs at $35 for a month’s supply and making recommended adult vaccines free. Four million Medicare beneficiaries are now saving on their monthly insulin costs, and over 10 million beneficiaries received a free vaccine, saving more than $400 million in out-of-pocket cost. 
       Drug companies that increase prices faster than inflation now have to pay a rebate to Medicare—which is translating into lower out of pocket costs for seniors.
       Next year, out of pocket drug costs will be capped at $2,000 per year for Medicare beneficiaries, which is expected to save nearly 19 million seniors an average of $400 per year.
       
  • The Inflation Reduction Act – for the first time ever – gives Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. Just this week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new, lower prescription drug prices for all ten drugs selected for the first year of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. The new, lower prices, which go into effect in 2026, will save American taxpayers $6 billion and will save seniors and people with disabilities $1.5 billion in out of pocket costs in 2026 alone. These new prices cut the list cost for drugs that treat heart disease, blood clots, diabetes, cancer, and more by nearly 40% to 80%.

Lowering energy costs with the largest climate investment in history

The Inflation Reduction Act is tackling the climate crisis by advancing clean power, cutting pollution from buildings, transportation, and industry and supporting climate-smart agriculture and forestry. The law is accelerating our progress toward President Biden and Vice President Harris’ goal of cutting U.S. climate pollution by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030.

Two years after the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has made tremendous progress implementing the climate and clean energy provisions of this law quickly and effectively. Treasury guidance is now available for nearly all of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax provisions. On the grant, loan, and rebate side of the law, nearly two thirds of Inflation Reduction Act funding has been awarded. As an example of the Administration’s rapid progress on implementation, today the Environmental Protection Agency announced that all $27 billion in awards through their Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund are now obligated. $20 billion of these awards go toward a national clean energy financing network that will support tens of thousands of clean energy projects, reducing or avoiding millions of metric tons of carbon pollution annually over the next seven years. The other $7 billion in awards through the Solar for All program will save over $350 million each year on energy bills for over 900,000 low-income and disadvantaged households through residential solar.

In the two years since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law:

  • Clean energy projects are creating more than 330,000 jobs in nearly every state in the country, according to outside groups.
    • Companies have announced $265 billion in new clean energy investments in nearly every state in the nation. According to Treasury Department analysis, many of these investments are happening in underserved communities—since the IRA passed, 75% of private sector clean energy investments made since the Inflation Reduction Act passed have occurred in counties with lower than median household incomes,  and clean energy investment in energy communities has doubled. Last week, Treasury and IRS released new data showing that in 2023, more than 3.4 million American families saved $8.4 billion from IRA consumer tax credits on home energy technologies. These tax credits can save families up to 30% off heat pumps, insulation, rooftop solar, and other clean energy technologies. New York and Wisconsin have now launched home energy rebate programs, with more states expected to launch later this summer and fall. Already, 22 states have submitted their applications to DOE to receive their full rebate funding. These rebate programs help low- and middle-income families afford cost-saving electric appliances and energy efficiency improvements by providing rebates up to $14,000 per household. In total, the IRA rebates programs are expected to save consumers up to $1 billion annually in energy costs and support an estimated 50,000 U.S. jobs in residential construction, manufacturing, and other sectors. 
    • Since January 2024, more than 250,000 Americans have claimed the Inflation Reduction Act’s EV tax credits—either $7,500 off a qualified new electric vehicle, or up to $4,000 off a qualified used electric vehicle. In total, these taxpayers have saved about $1.5 billion and nearly all buyers claimed the incentive at the point of sale.


Making the tax system fairer and making the wealthy pay their fair share

The Inflation Reduction Act fully pays for these investments, and reduces the deficit over the long run, by cutting wasteful spending on special interests and making big corporations and the wealthy pay more of their fair share. After 55 of the biggest corporations in America paid $0 in federal income tax on $40 billion in profits in 2020, the Inflation Reduction Act requires billion-dollar corporations to pay at least 15 percent in tax. It also requires corporations to pay a 1 percent excise tax on stock buybacks, encouraging businesses to invest in their growth and productivity instead of funneling tax-preferred profits to foreign shareholders. By making large corporations pay more of their fair share, the IRA will raise around $300 billion over a decade.

The Inflation Reduction Act also makes a historic investment in modernizing the IRS, providing funding to better taxpayer experience, reduce fraud, and upgrade critical technology infrastructure. Thanks to these investments, the IRS has already:

  • Improved services for millions of taxpayers. This spring, the IRS answered 3 million more phone calls than in 2022, cut phone wait times to three minutes from 28 minutes, served 200,000 more taxpayers in person, and saved taxpayers 1.4 million hours on hold last filing season. It also expanded online services, enabling 94% of taxpayers to submit forms digitally instead of via mail if they so choose.
    • Successfully piloted Direct File, allowing taxpayers to easily file their taxes online and for free, directly with the IRS for the first time. Over 140,000 Americans successfully filed their taxes through Direct File this year, claiming over $90 million in refunds and saving an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees. Users said Direct File was easy and fast to use, with 90% rating their experience excellent or above average. Building on this success, the IRS has invited all 50 states and the District of Columbia to join Direct File starting in 2025. 
    • Collected $1 billion from 1,500 millionaire tax cheats, launched enforcement action against 25,000 millionaires who have not filed a tax return since 2017, began audits on dozens of the largest corporations and partnerships, and cracked down on high-end tax evasion like deducting personal use of corporate jets as a business expense. At the same time, the IRS is adhering to Treasury Secretary Yellen’s commitment to not increase audit rates relative to current levels for small businesses and Americans making less than $400,000 a year.

Over the next decade, the Inflation Reduction Act’s investments will enable the IRS to further crack down on wealthy and corporate tax cheats and collect over $400 billion in additional revenue.

Going forward, the IRS is on track to implement additional improvements to taxpayer experience; provide additional in-person services in rural and underserved areas; redesign notices and forms to be less confusing; and expand online and mobile-friendly tools.

Investing in America to create jobs and expand opportunity

When President Biden thinks about climate change, he thinks about jobs. Two years into implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, it’s easy to see why.

Across the nation, the Inflation Reduction Act is catalyzing a clean energy and manufacturing boom. Since President Biden took office, the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has catalyzed nearly $900 billion in private sector investment commitments, including roughly $400 billion in clean energy across every state in the nation. That topline figure includes enough power generation to replace 40 Hoover Dams, the largest wind tower manufacturing facility in the world, the largest solar investment in US history.

Broader macroeconomic indicators also illustrate how, through tax credits and domestic content requirements within the law–we are successfully onshoring critical supply chains and encouraging a resurgence of domestic manufacturing. Real investment in manufacturing structures is at an all-time high—and has been for six quarters. Manufacturing’s contribution to GDP broke quarters for three consecutive quarters in 2023. And Americans have filed to open a record 300,000 new manufacturing businesses.

These investments are having real impacts on communities—particularly those that need it most. Public dollars are flowing disproportionately to disadvantaged and left behind communities: 99% of high-poverty counties have received funding from the infrastructure law, CHIPS Act, or Inflation Reduction Act, and non-metro communities have received nearly double the per capita funding of their urban counterparts. On the private sector side, analysis from the US Treasury tells a similar story. Since the IRA passed, 84% of announced clean investments have flowed to counties with college graduation rates below the national average, and the rate of investment in energy communities has more than doubled. Given these successes, it is no wonder that Republicans who voted against the bill are suddenly trying to take credit for it—and urging their leadership not to proceed with an unpopular repeal effort.

Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on the Inflation Reduction Act Anniversary

Since day one of our Administration, President Joe Biden and I have made it a priority to strengthen the middle class by lowering costs, creating jobs, and advancing opportunity. That is why we fought to enact our Inflation Reduction Act, historic legislation that I was proud to cast the tie-breaking vote on in the Senate. In the two years since President Biden signed it into law, this landmark bill has already delivered for American families.

This transformational legislation is reducing the cost of health care for millions of people in communities across our nation – from capping the price of insulin at $35 a month for seniors to capping out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year for Americans on Medicare, which is expected to save nearly 19 million seniors an average of $400 per year. Additionally, Medicare is now able to negotiate lower prescription prices for millions of Americans while saving taxpayers billions by paying rates 40% to 80% lower for expensive medications used to treat conditions such as blood clots, heart disease, and cancer.

Our Inflation Reduction Act is also the single largest climate investment in American history. While taking on the climate crisis and lowering utility bills for families, it is helping us to rebuild American manufacturing and drive American innovation – creating good-paying union jobs, furthering economic opportunity, and contributing to the nearly $900 billion of private-sector investment since President Biden and I took office.

As we mark this two-year anniversary, President Biden and I recommit to doing everything in our power to ensure that families throughout our country have the freedom to thrive

Biden Administration, Health Care, News & Photo Features

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New, Lower Prices for First Ten Drugs Selected for Medicare Price Negotiation to Lower Costs for Millions of Americans

President Joe Biden, at the State of the Union Address, touts Medicare’s ability for the first time to negotiate prices with Big Pharma, a win for seniors who will pay significantly less, and for Medicare, saving $1.5 billion the first year © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com via MSNBC.

New negotiated drug prices are expected to save millions of seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs in the first year of the program alone. This fact sheet was provided by the White House:

For far too long, Americans have paid more for their prescription drugs than any developed nation. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is delivering on its promise to lower out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors and save money for Americans. That’s because Medicare has the power to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time in history thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law by President Biden with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Because Medicare is now able to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors and people with disabilities, American taxpayers are expected to save $6 billion on prescription drug costs, and people enrolled in Medicare are expected to save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2026 alone. President Biden and Vice President Harris took on Big Pharma and won, and now millions of seniors and others on Medicare will soon see their drug costs go down on some of the most common and expensive prescription drugs that treat heart disease, cancer, diabetes, blood clots, and more.


HHS Announces Negotiated Prices for Medicare Drugs

HHS has reached agreements with all participating manufacturers on new negotiated, lower drug prices for the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare drug price negotiation program. After manufacturers have steadily increased the list prices of all 10 of these drugs since they went on the market, these new prices will cut the list price of these drugs between 38 and 79 percent.

The new prices will go into effect for people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage in 2026:

Drug NameCommonly Treated ConditionsNumber of Medicare Enrollees Who Used the Drug in 2023Drug List Price in 2023 for 30-day SupplyNegotiated Price for 2026 for 30-day SupplySavings (%)
EliquisPrevention and treatment of blood clots3,928,000$521$231$290 (-56%)
JardianceDiabetes; Heart failure; Chronic kidney disease1,883,000$573$197$376 (-66%)
XareltoPrevention and treatment of blood clots; Reduction of risk for patients with coronary or peripheral artery disease1,324,000$517$197$320 (-62%)
JanuviaDiabetes843,000$527$113$414 (-79%)
FarxigaDiabetes; Heart failure; Chronic kidney disease994,000$556$178.50$377.50 (-68%)
EntrestoHeart failure664,000$628$295$333 (-53%)
EnbrelRheumatoid arthritis; Psoriasis; Psoriatic arthritis48,000$7,106$2,355$4,751 (-67%)
ImbruvicaBlood cancers17,000$14,934$9,319$5,615 (-38%)
StelaraPsoriasis; Psoriatic arthritis; Crohn’s disease; Ulcerative colitis23,000$13,836$4,695$9,141 (-66%)
Fiasp; Fiasp FlexTouch; Fiasp PenFill;
NovoLog; NovoLog FlexPen; NovoLog PenFill		Diabetes785,000$495$119$376 (-76%)

Source: CMS, https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-negotiated-prices-initial-price-applicability-year-2026.pdf

These ten drugs are among those with highest total spending in Medicare Part D. If the negotiated prices had been in effect during 2023, Medicare would have saved an estimated $6 billion. When the negotiated prices go into effect in 2026, people enrolled in Medicare Part D are estimated to save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs.

Millions of Part D enrollees that depend on these treatments to treat life-threatening conditions including diabetes, heart failure, and cancer are also expected to see lower out-of-pocket costs for these drugs. For example, a Medicare enrollee who takes Stelara for their arthritis and pays $3,459 on their drug today for a 30-day supply would pay only $1,174 in 2026. Many seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare who take these drugs will also benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act’s $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket spending, which will be fully in effect in 2025, saving 19 million beneficiaries an average of $400 per year, in addition to these savings from the negotiated drug prices.

More drugs will be selected each year as part of Medicare’s drug price negotiation program. Medicare will select up to 15 additional drugs covered under Part D for negotiation in 2025, up to an additional 15 Part B and D drugs in 2026, and up to 20 drugs every year after that.

Building on Progress Lowering Health Care Costs

Every day, millions of Americans are saving money on health care costs because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions.

  • People with Medicare are saving an average of $70 in out-of-pocket costs on vaccines like shingles and Tdap because President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act made recommended vaccines free for beneficiaries, including the 10.3 million enrollees who received a free vaccine in 2023.
  • All 3.4 million Medicare Part D enrollees who filled an insulin prescription in 2023 had their insulin costs capped at $35 per month, saving some seniors hundreds of dollars for a month’s supply.
  • Some seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries taking drugs covered under Part B for which manufacturers have hiked prices faster than inflation are saving up to $4,593 in lower coinsurance this quarter thanks to the new Medicare inflation rebates.
  • Starting this year, Part D enrollees no longer pay 5% co-insurance when they reach the catastrophic phase of their benefit and have their out-of-pocket drug costs capped at about $3,500. In just the first quarter of 2024, over 260,000 people benefited from this cap.
  • Millions of American are saving an average of about $800 per year on health insurance premiums because of savings from the American Rescue Plan that the Inflation Reduction Act extended, helping drive the nation’s uninsured rate to historic lows under the Biden-Harris Administration.

Check out the Biden-Harris Administration’s Savings Explorer to see how some of the Administration’s policies are helping Americans save money on annual expenses – from health care to junk fees, grocery costs and more.

Continuing to Lower Prescription Drug Costs

People with Medicare will continue to see their prescription drug costs go down as more provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act go into effect next year. Nearly 19 million seniors and other Part D beneficiaries are projected to save $400 per year on prescription drugs when the out-of-pocket cap drops to $2,000 in 2025, and 1.9 million enrollees with the highest drug costs will save an average of $2,500 per year. And the lower prices negotiated for the high-spend drugs announced today will go into effect in 2026.

The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 builds on this success by significantly increasing the pace of negotiation, bringing more drugs into negotiation sooner after they launch, expanding the $2,000 out-of-pocket prescription drug cost cap beyond Medicare and into the commercial market, and other steps to build on the Inflation Reduction Act drug provisions. The Budget also includes proposals to curb inflation in prescription drug prices and extends the $35 cost-sharing cap for monthly prescriptions of insulin to the commercial market to lower drug costs for all Americans.


Statement from President Joe Biden on Lower Prescription Drug Prices

For years, millions of Americans were forced to choose between paying for medications or putting food on the table, while Big Pharma blocked Medicare from being able to negotiate prices on behalf of seniors and people with disabilities. But we fought back – and won.
 
Today, for the first time in history, my Administration is announcing that Medicare has reached agreements on new, lower prices with the manufacturers of all 10 drugs selected for the first round of drug price negotiation. When these lower prices go into effect, people on Medicare will save $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs for their prescription drugs and Medicare will save $6 billion in the first year alone. It’s a relief for the millions of seniors that take these drugs to treat everything from heart failure, blood clots, diabetes, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and more – and it’s a relief for American taxpayers.
 
This historic milestone is only possible because of the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed with the leadership of Democrats in Congress, and with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote in the Senate – without a single Republican voting for it. We showed that major progress can be made for the American people when we work together to take on special interests, even as Big Pharma continues to go to court to try to block lower prices for consumers. But the Vice President and I are not backing down. We will continue the fight to make sure all Americans can pay less for prescription drugs and to give more breathing room for American families.

Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on Lower Prescription Drug Prices

Every American should be able to access the health care they need no matter their income or wealth. That is why President Biden and I fought to lower the costs of health care with our Inflation Reduction Act, transformational legislation that I was proud to cast the tie-breaking vote on in the Senate. During the two years since President Biden signed this landmark bill into law, we have cut prescription drug costs, capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month, and lowered premiums for seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare – helping millions of families get the care they deserve.

Today, we are building on our work to lower costs and increase access to affordable prescription drugs by announcing that the Biden-Harris Administration has reached agreements with all participating manufacturers to lower prices for the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare price negotiation program – from those that treat cancer to those that treat diabetes, heart disease, and blood clots. Thanks to our historic work to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, millions of Americans who rely on these drugs will save on their out-of-pocket costs. While people enrolled in Medicare are expected to save $1.5 billion in 2026 alone, American taxpayers will also save an estimated $6 billion.

Today’s announcement will be lifechanging for so many of our loved ones across the nation, and we are not stopping here. Additional prescription drugs will be selected each year as part of our Medicare drug price negotiation program. This includes up to 15 additional drugs covered under Medicare Part D for negotiation in 2025, up to an additional 15 Part B and Part D drugs in 2026, and up to 20 drugs every year after that.

From my time as Attorney General of California and a U.S. Senator, I have consistently worked to lower the costs of prescription drugs and fought to protect patients. As Attorney General, I held Big Pharma accountable for their deceptive and illegal practices. The record-breaking settlements that I won – for the people – amounted to more than $7 billion against pharmaceutical companies for their unsafe and unfair tactics. President Biden and I will never stop fighting for the health, wellbeing, and financial stability of the American people.

Civil Rights, News & Photo Features

Civil Rights Advocates React to Nassau County’s Ban on Wearing Masks in Public

Several organizations have reacted to Nassau County Legislature Republican supermajority passing and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signing a law banning the wearing of masks in public under penalty of $1000 fine and/or one year in prison. To put the new law into some context, Blakeman, who has served as Trump’s campaign lead in the county, also created an armed private militia that he could call up whenever he decides there is an emergency, and has passed a law banning transgender athletes from playing on women’s and girls’ teams. He also took under his own control $15 million in tourism promotion budgets and has reportedly raised $1 million from donors while not yet declaring a run for reelection: – Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signs a law banning the wearing of masks in public, surrounded by supporters, chiefly from the Jewish community, who cited antisemitic pro-Palestinian protests incited by the Israel-Hamas War that they said threatened their safety. Civil rights advocates, especially from the disability community, are vowing to sue © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

From the Board of the Long Island Progressive Coalition

Long Island Progressive Coalition stands in solidarity with and joins the countless organizations across Long Island in condemning the Mask Transparency Act which was passed by the Nassau County Legislature and just signed into law by County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

We are appalled that the Republican majority brought this egregious bill to the floor. Although the Democratic minority contested the legislation during the hearing, their first decision to craft alternative legislation (still implementing some form of mask ban) and ultimately to abstain, does nothing for county residents. We condemn the county for the intimidation tactic of establishing an unwarranted large police presence at the hearing for this legislation.

This law which criminalizes the wearing of face coverings including protective masks in public places, infringes upon our Constitutional rights and creates unsafe conditions for many marginalized people, including people of color and those with health conditions and disabilities.

The stated purpose of this law—to curb hate crimes—is a farce and will not stop or deter those with ill intent. The true purpose of this act is to instill fear in those who lawfully exercise their right to protest, particularly those who have rallied in support of the Palestinian people as the Israeli government subjects them to genocide. Health concerns and fear of doxxing are valid and legitimate reasons to mask at protests, as well as in any other public space. Individuals who are not otherwise engaged in illegal conduct should not have to explain to law enforcement their reasons for masking. Nor should the police be given the power to determine whether an individual’s choice to wear a mask falls into one of the narrow exceptions provided by the statute, which undoubtedly will have a disproportionate impact upon black and brown communities that are already subject to over-policing and prosecution. 

Far from achieving a legitimate public safety objective, this legislation instead creates a public health hazard, especially in the midst of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic and a time when other epidemics are on the rise throughout the world, a time when many responsible people are choosing to mask to protect themselves and others. 

Long Island Progressive Coalition will always stand up for the dignity and safety of all of us. We call on the Attorney General of the State of New York to take Nassau County to court to strike down this draconian law and prohibit its enforcement.

Nassau Residents for Good Government (NRGG) Statement:

A bill signing ceremony for Nassau’s newly-passed anti-masking legislation is scheduled for August 14, 2025 at 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola. The legislation purports to address antisemitism. The bill is so poorly written that constitutional law experts expect it to be immediately overturned.  The nonpartisan group Nassau Residents for Good Government* (NRGG) has decried the legislation as smokescreen antisemitism – i.e., using antisemitism for political gain. 

There’s no question that nationally, bad actors on the left and right are fueling antisemitism and that it needs to be addressed. Will anti-masking legislation help? NRGG has not taken a position on the efficacy of mask banning to fight antisemitism. But from a good government perspective, legislation that will get overturned in court because it’s sloppily crafted, whatever its purported justification, is an outrage. Clearly, the Legislative majority could have drafted legislation that was not unconstitutionally vague and overbroad. Indeed, it could have adopted the legislation proposed by the minority, which specifically penalized masking while committing a crime and avoided criminalizing intent. As crafted, the legislation asks police officers to, essentially, read people’s minds to determine their “intent” in wearing a mask, which could be a recipe for abuse of power. Worse, the legislation gives unfettered discretion to law enforcement, which raises concerns it could be used to target particular groups or ethnicities. Indeed, minority leaders are concerned it could lead to hate and discrimination towards groups who wear masks due to health, cultural, and religious reasons.

Nassau residents will not be protected by this legislation. It will not be in any way effective in combating antisemitism. In advancing a bill that they know will not hold up in court, it appears that the purpose of the mask ban legislation is purely to score political points. Politicians get to announce that they are fighting antisemitism, while peddling sham legislation that won’t actually fight antisemitism. The only result will be Nassau residents’ tax dollars being used to pay politically-connected law firms tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in an ultimately-losing fight to defend this badly written legislation. 

Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Long Island stated: “While it remains important to take meaningful action at all levels of government to dismantle antisemitism, we wholeheartedly reject the Nassau County mask ban legislation as a good faith effort to promote Jewish safety. Banning masks endangers many communities, including Jewish people, disabled people, queer and trans people, Black and brown folks, Asians, and people at the intersection of these identities. We denounce this attempt to strip people of their rights in the false name of Jewish safety. Regardless of the identities of the legislators supporting this legislation, a mask ban makes Jewish Long Islanders less safe by restricting our access and our neighbors’ access to taking protective measures against COVID-19.”

It’s time our politicians stop fueling antisemitism to score political points – and that includes our Jewish elected officials. Nassau residents deserve better.

Biden Administration, Economic Policies, News & Photo Features

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Launches New Effort to Crack Down on Everyday Headaches and Hassles That Waste’ Your Time and Money

The Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to take on corporate tricks and scams like excessive paperwork, long wait times, and more that pad the profits of big business at the expense of everyday Americans’ time and money. This fact sheet was provided by the White House.

One of the ways the Biden-Harris Administration is saving Americans time and money is by the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new automatic refunds rule requiring airlines to pay you back the airfare when your flight is canceled or significantly changed for any reason, and you are not offered, or choose not to accept, alternatives such as rebooking © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

President Biden and Vice President Harris are launching “Time Is Money,” a new government-wide effort to crack down on all the ways that corporations—through excessive paperwork, hold times, and general aggravation—add unnecessary headaches and hassles to people’s days and degrade their quality of life.

Americans are tired of being played for suckers, and President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to addressing the pain points they face in their everyday lives. The Administration is already cracking down on junk fees—those hidden costs and surcharges in everything from travel to banking services—that hit people in their pocketbooks. Now the Biden-Harris Administration is taking on the corporate practice of giving people the run around, wasting their precious time and money.

Americans know these practices well: it’s being forced to wait on hold just to get the refund we’re owed; the hoops and hurdles to cancel a gym membership or subscription; the unnecessary complications of dealing with health insurance companies; the requirements to do in-person or by mail what could easily be done with a couple of clicks online; and confusing, lengthy, or manipulative forms that take unnecessary time and effort.

These hassles don’t just happen by accident. Companies often deliberately design their business processes to be time-consuming or otherwise burdensome for consumers, in order to deter them from getting a rebate or refund they are due or canceling a subscription or membership they no longer want—all with the goal of maximizing profits.

In addition to robbing hardworking families of their valuable time and adding frustration to our daily lives, these hassles cost us money. When, after endless hours on hold or piles of incomprehensible paperwork, we give up pursuing a service, rebate or refund we’re due, we take a hit to our pocketbooks, and companies profit

Today and in the coming months, the Biden-Harris Administration will take wide-ranging action to crack down on these unfair practices and save Americans time and money. Key actions include:

  • Making it easier to cancel subscriptions and memberships. Businesses often trick consumers into paying for subscriptions—on everything from gym memberships to newspapers to cosmetics—that they no longer want or didn’t sign up for in the first place. Consumers shouldn’t have to navigate a maze just to cancel unwanted subscriptions and recurring payments. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a rule that, if finalized as proposed, would require companies to make it as easy to cancel a subscription or service as it was to sign up for one. The agency is currently reviewing public comments about its proposal. And today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is initiating an inquiry into whether to extend similar requirements to companies in the communications industry.
  • Ending airline runarounds by requiring automatic cash refunds. The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new automatic refunds rule requires airlines to pay you back the airfare when your flight is canceled or significantly changed for any reason, and you are not offered, or choose not to accept, alternatives such as rebooking. This rule prevents airlines from switching up their policies to make it hard to get your money back when they don’t deliver and requires them to tell you when you’re owed a refund. DOT’s rule also puts an end to airline runarounds by requiring refunds to be automatic, prompt, in the original form of payment, and for the full amount paid. No more jumping through hoops or getting stuck with expiring flight credits.
  • Allowing you to submit health claims online. Health coverage can be full of headaches and hassles, as many plans and insurance companies make it unnecessarily difficult to access information or send in claims. For example, many of the largest plans still require some customers to print out and either scan or physically mail health claims forms, and people seeking help can encounter inaccurate or confusing websites, extended wait times, or narrow call center hours that force them to step away from work to talk to an agent. Today, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Becerra and Department of Labor (DOL) Acting Secretary Su are calling on [insert link to letter] health insurance companies and group health plans to take concrete actions to save people time and money when interacting with their health coverage, and in the coming months will identify additional opportunities to improve consumers’ interactions with the health care system. In addition, the Office of Personnel Management plans to require Federal Employees Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits plans, covering eight million Americans, to make it easier to submit out of network claims online, provide clear information about what health plan providers are in-network, and make it easier to find information on how to appeal claim denials.
  • Cracking down on customer service “doom loops.” Too often customers seeking assistance from a real person are instead sent through a maze of menu options and automated recordings, wasting their time and failing to get the support they need. In a recent survey, respondents said that being forced to listen to long messages before being permitted to speak to a live representative was their top customer service complaint. To tackle these “doom loops,” the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will initiate a rulemaking process that would require companies under its jurisdiction to let customers talk to a human by pressing a single button. The FCC will launch an inquiry into considering similar requirements for phone, broadband, and cable companies.  HHS and DOL will similarly call on health plan providers to make it easier to talk to a customer service agent.
  • Ensuring accountability for companies that provide bad service. People shopping for products or services should be able to rely on customer reviews to assess which companies will provide streamlined service and not waste their time. The FTC has proposed a rule that, if finalized as proposed, would stop marketers from using illicit review and endorsement practices such as using fake reviews, suppressing honest negative reviews, and paying for positive reviews, which deceive consumers looking for real feedback on a product or service and undercut honest businesses.
  • Taking on the limitations and shortcomings of customer service chatbots. While chatbots can be useful for answering basic questions, they often have limited ability to solve more complex problems and disputes. Instead, chatbots frequently provide inaccurate information and give the run-around to customers seeking a real person. The CFPB is planning to issue rules or guidance to crack down on ineffective and time-wasting chatbots used by banks and other financial institutions in lieu of customer service. The CFPB will identify when the use of automated chatbots or automated artificial intelligence voice recordings is unlawful, including in situations in which customers believe they are speaking with a human being.
  • Helping streamline parent communication with schools.  Between communicating with teachers, viewing school policies, completing forms and permission slips, and more, school processes, platforms, and paperwork can sometimes be a hassle for families that already have a lot on their plates. The Department of Education will issue new guidance to schools on how they can help make these processes less time-consuming for parents to handle, and to build effective family engagement through two-way communications. This will include new resources for schools to address time-wasting technology and offer more streamlined processes for engaging and communicating with parents.

What else should we take on? The White House is calling for Americans to share their ideas for how federal action can give them their time back. Interested parties can submit their ideas and comments at this portal, and may consider the following principles:

  • Companies should make it as easy to do things that you want to do as it is to do things they want to do.
    • It should be as easy cancel a subscription or membership as it is to enroll.
    • It should be as easy to obtain rebates and refunds as it was to purchase, with no needlessly cumbersome paperwork.
    • Refunds and rebates should be paid as quickly as companies take funds from your credit card or bank account.
  • Americans should be able receive customer service on their terms and their own time without significant hassle or hardship.
    • If you want to talk to a human, you should be able to talk to a human at convenient times and without interminable waits.
    • If you prefer to interact electronically – such as by text, email, or online portal – there should be simple and easily identified ways to do so securely.
    • Technology – such as chatbots – should be used to enhance customer service with speedy response times, not used to shirk on basic responsibilities, such as receiving a refund.
  • Americans should not be subject to confusing, manipulative, or deceptive practices online.
    • If you want to understand what you must do to obtain a good or service, the requirements should be clear and transparent.
    • You should not be subject to hidden fees or to requirements that are obscured through confusing language and small print.

Time Is Money builds on landmark efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to improve customer service for people accessing government programs and services. In December 2021 the President signed an Executive Order, Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government, directing federal agencies to streamline services and simplify customer experiences.

Already, agencies are making progress: the State Department launched a public beta to renew  your passport online; all 50 states have been invited to offer the Internal Revenue Service’s Direct File tool, an easy, secure, and—most importantly—free way for Americans to file their federal taxes; HHS has taken steps to allow more than 5 million Americans to automatically renew their health coverage without filling out paperwork, saving over 2 million hours in estimated processing time; and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has reduced the amount of time the public spends accessing DHS services per year by 21 million hours in fiscal year 2023, and is targeting reduction of 10 million more hours per year in fiscal year 2024. For more examples of progress and to learn more information about how agencies across the federal government are improving customer experience and reducing burden, visit performance.gov/cx and the Burden Reduction Initiative website

Biden Administration, Housing, News & Photo Features

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Takes New Actions to Lower Housing Costs by Cutting Red Tape to Build More Housing

Actions include reforms to save developers time and money on federal projects and funds to encourage state and local governments to reduce barriers to affordable housing

Drawings for innovative affordable senior housing in Long Island based on shared-units. The Biden-Harris Administration is implementing reforms to save developers time and money on federal projects and funds to encourage state and local governments to reduce barriers to affordable housing © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing major new actions to build on progress in addressing the affordable housing crisis and further implement its Housing Supply Action Plan. Actions include reforms to save developers time and money on federal projects and funds to encourage state and local governments to reduce barriers to affordable housing. This fact sheet is provided by the White House:

Since launching its all-of-government Housing Supply Action Plan, the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed to using every available tool to build more housing and lower costs. President Biden and Vice President Harris have put building more homes at the center of their economic agenda because rents are lower and homes are more affordable when we build more housing. After decades of under-investment in housing, we are finally seeing progress under President Biden and Vice President Harris: more units are under construction than at any time in over 50 years, and the rate of new housing starts is up 17 percent compared to the last Administration. The Biden-Harris Housing Plan would build over 2 million new homes to further increase supply and lower housing costs for Americans.

Building rental units and homes faster means lower costs for consumers: not only will more units get to the market faster, but increasing the speed of construction lowers building costs. The President and Vice President have been laser-focused on lowering housing costs for renters and homeowners alike.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing major new actions to build on that progress and further implement its Housing Supply Action Plan:

Making funding available to help communities break down barriers to housing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is announcing the availability of $100 million through its landmark Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) program, which provides grants to communities to identify and remove barriers to affordable housing production and preservation. Grantees may use awards to further develop, evaluate, and implement housing policy plans, improve housing strategies, and facilitate affordable housing production and preservation. In June, Vice President Harris announced the first-ever grantees of the program, which provided $85 million to more than 20 cities and states with funding to identify and overcome barriers to building more affordable housing.

Providing interest rate predictability to spur housing development. The Department of the Treasury and HUD are announcing a major improvement to the Federal Financing Bank (FFB) Multifamily Risk Sharing Program that would provide greater interest rate predictability for state and local housing finance agencies that finance housing projects through the FFB. This program already dramatically reduces costs for state and local housing finance agencies by allowing them to borrow funds at just above the rate at which the US government borrows. This new action will expand the reach of the Risk Sharing program, especially for new construction projects, by providing housing finance agencies with greater certainty about the interest rate that they will face after the construction period ends, making more housing developments financially viable. Treasury and HUD indefinitely extended the Risk Sharing Program earlier this year, after the previous Administration allowed it to lapse. The program has already supported more than 16,000 units since restarting in 2021 and is expected to help create or preserve tens-of-thousands of units over the next decade.

Streamlining requirements for transit-oriented development projects. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is announcing new guidance to streamline and clarify requirements for closing DOT loans for residential development near transit, including commercial-to-residential conversions. New guidance FAQs , issued by the Build America Bureau, clarify that Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) and Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loans used for conversion projects may be eligible for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that would exempt applicable projects from more detailed environmental analysis and save time and money, as long as those projects do not expand the footprint of the building being converted or modify other facilities. The guidance further clarifies that TIFIA loans can be used to refinance existing debt as part of building conversion or expansion projects, and clarifies that TIFIA and RRIF loans can serve as permanent, take-out financing for construction loans consistent with statutory requirements, as long as federal requirements are met. When DOT first announced these loan programs could be used to finance housing near transit, the estimated time between final Letter of Interest and the loan close was up to 18 months. With these changes, that time can now be under a year as long as all other statutory requirements are met. The FAQs also feature additional information on federal requirements, borrower eligibility, market studies, and the Bureau’s underwriting process, including typical terms and conditions for TIFIA and RRIF loans. On August 27, the Bureau will host an introductory webinar on the credit review process for TOD loans. These efforts build on federal actions to make commercial to residential projects financially viable. Last fall, the White House released a Commercial to Residential Federal Resources Guidebook with over 20 federal programs across six federal agencies that can be used to support zero emissions climate-resilient conversions.

Accelerating historic preservation reviews for federal housing projects. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) proposed a new tool that would accelerate historic preservation reviews for millions of federally-funded, licensed, or owned housing units across the country. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires that federal agencies take into account how any proposed actions will affect historic properties and seek ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any adverse effects as a result of the project. If finalized, the tool would exempt several activities, including interior repairs and most installation of rooftop solar panels, from further Section 106 review, and significantly reduce the review process for applicable projects, which would lower development costs and more efficiently deliver affordable, accessible, energy-efficient, and hazard-free housing to people who need it. In the same program comment, ACHP will also be accelerating historic preservation reviews for activities related to climate-friendly transportation and climate-smart buildings, creating accessible, climate-resilient, and connected communities.

Challenging communities to use Section 108 to build housing. HUD is launching a Legacy Challenge — encouraging communities that directly receive Community Development Block Grants to leverage low-cost, low interest loans for transformative housing investments. Up to $250 million in loan financing will be made available through the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program for adaptive reuse, commercial-to-residential conversions, rehabilitation of existing housing, housing enabling infrastructure such as water and sewer line installation or upgrades, and revolving loan pools to support local development. For communities that express interest by November 1, 2024, HUD will offer additional flexibilities for these loans including certain repayment flexibilities and waivers to streamline program requirements. HUD will invite applicants to participate in a technical assistance cohort and provide tools to support application development.

Enabling more housing types to be built under the HUD Code. HUD anticipates finalizing a rule to update its Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards. Manufactured housing provides an essential path to increasing overall housing supply and offers significant savings over site-built housing. The HUD Code creates economies of scale for manufacturers, resulting in significantly lower costs for buyers. In addition to making changes that will increase the quality, energy efficiency, and resilience of manufactured homes, the new rule, if finalized, would enable duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes to be built under the HUD Code for the first time, extending the cost-saving benefits of manufactured housing to denser urban and suburban infill contexts.

Expediting housing permitting. The Council of Economic Advisers analyzed the importance of state and local government actions to permit and approve new developments more quickly, including examples from HUD’s PRO Housing grants. Permitting requirements contribute to the nationwide housing shortage, leading many would-be deals to not be financially viable or be scaled down, and driving up the cost of housing. Reforms to streamline permitting processes can lead to more housing being built more quickly, which will lower housing costs.

Today’s actions build on dozens of executive actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration to improve the federal programs to support the construction and preservation of affordable housing. As part of the Housing Supply Action Plan, the Administration simplified the process to use American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for housing, facilitating nearly $20 billion committed for housing projects, including over $7.5 billion to construct, preserve, or stabilize tens of thousands of units; improved signature federal supply programs like the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and HOME Investment Partnerships program; made it easier to repurpose suitable federal land for affordable housing, while calling on state and local governments to do the same with land they own; launched a new effort to promote the conversion of underutilized commercial property into housing, including housing near transit; and made hundreds of billions of dollars available through the Inflation Reduction Act to cut energy costs and emissions in housing through energy efficiency, electrification, clean energy and climate resiliency.

See also:

INFLATION CAUSING GRIEF? HERE’S WHAT THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION IS DOING TO SAVE YOU MONEY ON EVERYDAY COSTS FROM HOUSING TO HEALTHCARE TO CHILDCARE, UTILITIES TO GROCERIES



Biden Administration, Housing, News & Photo Features

Inflation Causing Grief? Here’s What the Biden-Harris Administration is Doing to Save You Money on Everyday Costs from Housing to Healthcare to Childcare, Utilities to Groceries

The White House provided this fact sheet on the ways the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to lower costs – and counter the impacts of inflation – for families, while highlighting the contrast with Republican policies, which if given power, would reverse, repeal the progress.

The Trump/MAGA campaign delights in attacking Vice President Kamala Harris for anything they charge went wrong in the last four years (falsely attacking her as the Border Czar and deflecting blame for sabotaging passage of the Bipartisan Border Security bill), especially inflating levels of inflation and lying about economic growth. But if she is blamed for what they say went wrong, shouldn’t the Vice President also take credit for what the administration is doing so well to improve lives for ordinary Americans and counter the impacts of inflation, price-gouging and profit-taking by corporations? Indeed, as Vice President, she has the blueprint to continue such policies in her administration and not be stuck starting from scratch.—Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

“My plan is to lower everyday costs for hardworking families and lower the deficit by asking large corporations and the wealthiest Americans to not engage in price gouging and to pay their fair share in taxes.” — President Biden
 

The Biden-Harris Administration is cutting mortgage insurance premiums and expanding rental assistance, and they are calling on Congress to help build more homes and lower costs for homebuyers and renters. The Administration is lowering utility bills by increasing access to solar energy through tax credits up to 30% of the cost of rooftop solar and battery storage and expanded access to residential community solar © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

President Biden and Vice President Harris know that prices are too high and too many families are being squeezed by the cost of living. Their actions are lowering costs in key areas—from health insurance premiums and prescription drug prices to utility bills, groceries, and gas. And their Administration is fighting to further lower costs by taking on price gouging by big corporations making record profits and special interests like Big Pharma that are charging prices two or three times higher than in other countries—while successfully calling on grocery chains to lower grocery prices.
 
There is more to do. The President and Vice President will keep fighting for hardworking families with an agenda to lower housing and child care costs, and give tax relief to working Americans and middle-class families while making the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share.
 
While Congressional Republicans side with special interests and billionaires to keep prices and profits high, the Biden-Harris Administration will continue to take action to lower costs for the American people.
 
President Biden and Vice President Harris’s lowering costs agenda, and Congressional Republicans’ plan to raise costs: 

Lowering Health Care Costs 
President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting for families who are struggling with health care costs and pharmaceutical prices that are two to three times higher than in other countries. They are taking historic action to lower costs—taking on Big Pharma to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, capping the cost of insulin and prescription drugs for seniors, and building on the Affordable Care Act to lower health insurance premiums by about $800 per year for millions of Americans. Their plan will extend and expand those actions to cap costs for all Americans. Congressional Republicans voted against these actions to lower health care costs—their plan would increase prices for millions of families and cut Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act. 

Biden-Harris Administration Actions:

  • Lowering health insurance premiums by an average of about $800 per year for millions of Americans by expanding the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits—helping an additional 900,000 Hispanic Americans, 430,000 Black Americans, and 100,000 Asian Americans get health insurance.
  • Capping prescription drug costs at $2,000 per year for 54 million seniors, people with disabilities, and other Medicare beneficiaries starting in 2025, saving 19 million households an average of $400 per year.
  • Giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, which could lower costs for drugs used by up to 9 million seniors and people with disabilities in 2026 alone.
  • Lowering prescription drug prices by requiring companies to pay rebates if they raise prices faster than the rate of inflation—which is already saving up to 750,000 Medicare beneficiaries between $1 and $3,575 per day.
  • Capping insulin costs at $35 per month for Medicare beneficiaries, saving 1.5 million seniors and people with disabilities as much as $365 per month—and getting the three largest insulin producers to cap insulin prices for other Americans.
  • Lowering inhaler costs to $35 from three of the largest inhaler producers by calling out excessive prices and challenging improperly listed patents, saving eligible consumers around $1,200 per year.
  • Lowering hearing aid prices by as much as $3,000 per pair by making hearing aids available over the counter.
  • Providing free vaccines for Medicare beneficiaries, including the shingles vaccine—saving seniors and people with disabilities an average of $70 per year.
  • Reducing medical debt by preventing as many as 1 million surprise medical bills averaging $750 to $2,600 every month and cracking down on junk health insurance.
  • Forgiving medical debt for nearly 3 million Americans by 2026 via states and local governments using American Rescue Plan funds.

The Biden-Harris Administration Plan:

  • Lower health insurance premiums by about $800 per year permanently for millions of Americans by extending the expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits.
  • Lower prices for more prescription drugs by letting Medicare negotiate prices for more drugs.
  • Cap insulin costs at $35 per month for all Americans, which would save nearly $1,000 per year for the millions of Americans not on Medicare that use insulin.
  • Cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 per year for all Americans.
  • Address price gouging by Big Pharma by proposing a new march-in framework, which would help ensure that taxpayer-funded drugs are reasonably accessible to the public, including at a reasonable price.
  • Reduce the burden of medical debt by proposing that it be excluded from credit reports, which would raise credit scores for 15 million Americans by an average of 20 points and lead to the approval of approximately 22,000 additional mortgages every year.

The Republican Plan to Increase Costs:

Lowering Utility Bills

President Biden and Vice President Harris know the burden that rising utility bills place on families. They are taking action to lower energy costs with affordable clean energy and energy efficient appliances, and to lower cable and satellite TV bills by banning hidden junk fees. Congressional Republicans voted with Big Oil to keep utility bills and gas prices high. 

Biden-Harris Administration Actions:

  • Lowering utility bills an average of $500 per year by lowering the cost of energy-saving home improvements through up front tax credits of up to $3,200 and direct consumer rebates of up to $14,000 for heat pumps, doors, windows, and insulation.
  • Lowering utility bills by nearly $400 per year by increasing access to solar energy through tax credits of up to 30% of the cost of rooftop solar and battery storage and expanded access to residential community solar.
  • Lowering heating and cooling costs through recordincreases in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
  • Saving households $170-220 per year on their electricity bills and other goods and services over the next decade by investing in affordable clean energy.
  • Lowering cable and satellite TV bills by requiring providers to give consumers the all-in price up front.
  • Lowered internet bills by $30–75 per month for over 23 million households, saving them more than $360 a year.

The Biden-Harris Administration Plan:

  • Ban early termination fees for TV, phone, and internet service, which can cost more than $200.

The Republican Plan to Increase Costs:

Lowering Gas Prices and Travel Costs

President Biden and Vice President Harris know prices at the pump and travel costs are too high. They are taking action to lower gas prices now through record energy production and strategic releases of oil and gasoline, and to lower gas prices for the long term and expand access to affordable clean vehicles. They’re also taking on airlines’ hidden junk fees that increase the cost of flights. Congressional Republicans voted against these actions and with special interests to keep gas prices and travel costs high. 

Biden-Harris Administration Actions:

  • Lowering gas prices this summer with the sale of 1 million barrels of gasoline from the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve ahead of the Fourth of July.
  • Lowering gas prices by up to 25 cents per gallon in certain markets, particularly in the Midwest, by making E15 gasoline available in the summer.
  • Lowered gas prices in 2022 by as much as 40 cents per gallon with historic, coordinated releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve—saving a household with two cars as much as $250 on gas after Putin’s war against Ukraine caused prices to spike.
  • Lowering fuel costs by an average of $700 a year and maintenance costs by $500 a year by lowering the cost of clean vehicles through tax credits available at purchase of up to $7,500 for new clean vehicles and up to $4,000 for used clean vehicles, as well as up to $1,000 for charger installation.
    • Learn how you can save on fuel costs and clean vehicles at Energy.gov/Save.
  • Cracking down on anticompetitive practices by oil executives that can raise prices at the pump.
  • Banning surprise airline junk fees by requiring upfront disclosure of baggage, change, and cancellation fees, saving Americans over half a billion dollars a year.
  • Requiring airlines provide automatic cash refunds for canceled or significantly changed flights, delayed baggage, and when services like WiFi are unavailable.
  • Securing commitments from airlines to guarantee hotels and meals when they are at fault for flight delays or cancellations.

The Biden-Harris Administration Plan:

  • Ban family seating fees to guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly, saving a family of four about $200 per roundtrip flight—building on commitments the Administration secured from four major airlines.
  • Require airlines cover expenses such as meals, hotels, and rebooking and provide additional compensation when they are responsible for delays or cancellations.
  • Partner with 18 state attorneys general to enforce against unfair airline practices that can raise ticket prices or shortchange passengers.

The Republican Plan to Increase Costs:

  • Congressional Republicans sided with Big Oil to vote against lowering gas prices and with special interests to try to keep travel costs high.

Lowering Housing Costs

President Biden and Vice President Harris know housing costs are too high, and they are fighting to lower them. Their Administration is cutting mortgage insurance premiums and expanding rental assistance, and they are calling on Congress to help build more homes and lower costs for homebuyers and renters. Their plan will give more Americans a chance at the American Dream. Congressional Republicans voted to raise housing prices by cutting programs that increase affordable housing and provide assistance to renters. 

Biden-Harris Administration Actions:

  • Cutting mortgage insurance premiums by about $900 per year for nearly 700,000 homebuyers and homeowners.
  • Providing rental assistance to more than 5 million households, including an additional 100,000 low-income families.
  • Capping rent increases in roughly 2 million apartments financed by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), saving nearly 1 million households hundreds of dollars in rent in 2024.
  • Cracking down on rental junk fees, including repeated application fees, “convenience fees” to pay rent online, and fees for mail sorting and trash collection.
  • Cracking down on price-fixing by landlords that can raise rents for tens of millions of apartments.
  • Provided rental assistance to 8 million renters to help pay rent, keep them in their homes, and cover utilities bills during the pandemic.
  • Provided homeowner assistance to over 500,000 homeowners for mortgage payments, utility expenses, and property taxes during the pandemic.

The Biden-Harris Administration Plan:

The Republican Plan to Increase Costs:

  • Congressional Republicans want to raise housing costs, including repealing investments to increase affordable housing and keep homeowners and renters in their homes, and have repeatedly proposed increasing housing costs by cutting funding for rental assistance, to build more homes, and to lower mortgage costs. Senate Republicans oppose a bill that passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support that would help build 200,000 affordable homes.

Lowering Grocery Costs

President Biden and Vice President Harris know grocery prices are too high. They called on grocery chains making record profits to lower their prices, and appreciate that some have answered the call. Their Administration is taking action to lower grocery costs—increasing food assistance for low-income families; strengthening supply chains to lower food prices; and cracking down on price gouging and promoting competition in the agriculture industry. Congressional Republicans want to put a large tax on food imports and have voted to increase grocery costs by cutting food assistance for low-income families, new moms, and seniors. 

Biden-Harris Administration Actions:

The Biden-Harris Administration Plan:

The Republican Plan to Increase Costs:

  • Congressional Republicans have voted to keep grocery costs high by cutting food assistance for low-income families, new parents, and babies; slashing Meals on Wheels for seniors; and siding with Big Ag to try to block actions to increase competition in agriculture. Congressional Republicans are also calling for huge taxes on food imports, including a 10% across-the-board tax on all imports that would raise costs for families by an average of $1,500 per year.

Lowering Child Care and Education Costs

President Biden and Vice President Harris know child care and education is unaffordable for many families. They are fighting to lower these costs by capping child care costs for low-income families, expanding access to workforce training, and delivering on student debt relief. Their plan lowers child care costs to no more than $10 a day for most Americans, expands free universal preschool, and lowers the cost of college. Congressional Republicans have voted to raise child care and education costs by cutting Head Start and Pre-K programs, cutting Pell Grants, and blocking student debt relief. 

Biden-Harris Administration Actions:

The Biden-Harris Administration Plan:

  • Save families with children an average of $2,600 per year by restoring the expanded Child Tax Credit to help families afford everyday costs and lift 3 million children out of poverty.
  • Lower child care costs with a new program to guarantee affordable, high-quality child care for 16 million children in families making up to $200,000 per year, with most families paying no more than $10 a day and the average family saving $7,200 a year.
  • Save families of 4 million children $13,000 a year with free, universal preschool and Head Start for all four-year-olds and a path to expand preschool to three-year-olds.
  • Lower college costs by remaining on a path to double the maximum Pell Grant to $13,000 per year by 2029—with an increase of $750 next school year alone.
  • Lower the cost of college tuition by up to $20,000 by increasing access to dual enrollment for high school students.
  • Expand free community college—saving eligible students $4,500 or more per year.
  • Expand student debt relief to over 30 million Americans, including those with runaway interest, who are eligible for forgiveness but not enrolled, who entered repayment over 20 years ago, or who attended programs that failed to provide sufficient value.

The Republican Plan to Increase Costs:

Lowering Credit Card, Banking, and Other Financial Costs

President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting Big Banks to lower the costs of using credit cards, bank services, and other financial costs. They are cutting credit card late fees from $32 to $8, overdraft fees from $35 to as low as $3, and taking on other hidden junk fees to save Americans $20 billion per year. Congressional Republicans have sided with Big Banks on Wall Street and Park Avenue to try to protect these junk fees that burden hardworking families.

Biden-Harris Administration Actions:

  • Cutting credit card late fees from $32 to $8, saving the 45 million Americans that pay these fees an average of $220 per year.
  • Protecting retirement security by cracking down on junk fees in retirement investment advice, increasing retirement savings by tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  • Saving taxpayers an average of $150 peryear with Direct File—a new, free tax filing option that has already saved filers millions of dollars in its Pilot Program and is now being expanded across the country.

The Biden-Harris Administration Plan:

The Republican Plan to Increase Costs:Congressional Republicans sided with Big Banks and other special interests to try to block actions to ban junk fees—including voting to keep credit card late fees high—and Republican officials have joined big corporations to try to overturn these consumer protections in court.

Biden Administration, News & Photo Features

Amid Record Declines in Crime Nationwide, Governor Hochul Highlights Statewide Decline as New York Communities Ranked Among Safest in Nation

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, in Glen Cove, delivers good news on dramatic reductions in crime on Long Island, and historic increases in state spending on local law enforcement © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

As Trump, Vance and the Republicans continue to lie about crime rates rising under the Biden-Harris Administration, the FBI and police officials released figures that show record declines, especially in violent crime which soared during Trump’s failed administration.

Last year, violent crime fell to a near 50-year low as murder rates fell 13% nationally and plummeted in major cities. This trend is continuing in 2024, with violent crime and the murder rate on track for the sharpest decrease in history.

This morning, new data in major cities from the Major Cities Chiefs Association show violent crime dropping further. The Harris Campaign pointed to declines in battleground states:

The decline in crime due to the actions of the Biden-Harris Administration and its investments in community policing is being felt throughout the country.

President Joe Biden stated, “When Vice President Harris and I took office, our nation had just seen the largest increase in murders ever recorded during the previous Administration. Immediately, we got to work to make communities safer. Today, new data confirms that our efforts are working and violent crime is at a 50-year low. An independent organization of police chiefs from across our nation’s biggest cities released data showing that violent crime fell across every category in the first half of 2024. Homicides are down 17% – building on the largest-ever decline in the homicide rate nationally last year.
 
“This did not happen by accident. Our American Rescue Plan – opposed by every Republican in Congress – delivered $15 billion to cities and states to invest in public safety and violence prevention, keeping cops on the beat while working with community leaders to interrupt and prevent crime. I also signed the most significant gun violence legislation in nearly 30 years which is keeping guns out of dangerous hands by expanding background checks and helping states implement “red flag” laws.
 
“Americans are safer today than when Vice President Harris and I took office. We can’t stop now. That’s why I will continue to urge Congress to fund 100,000 additional police officers and crime prevention and community violence intervention programs, and make commonsense gun safety reforms such as a ban on assault weapons.”

Meanwhile, it is Trump who has demonstrated his willingness to defund police. As president, Trump proposed a $400 million cut to local law enforcement funding and oversaw the largest single-year spike in the murder rate in more than a century. Trump has  demanded  the defunding of federal law enforcement, while proposing using the FBI and Justice Department to go after his political enemies. His vice presidential pick JD Vance said, “I hate the police.”  His Republican allies in Congress are calling to defund the Department of Justice, the FBI, the CIA, cut funding for cybersecurity

U.S. News & World Report Ranked Counties in Long Island, Hudson Valley and New York City Among the Top 25 Safest in America

Crime in New York State Is Down 6% Year over Year

Governor Hochul Has Invested over $800 Million in Crime-Fighting Initiatives

In New York State, for example, where Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, trying to position himself for elevation in Republican ranks fear-mongers on crime rates), Governor Kathy Hochul today highlighted ongoing declines in statewide crime as a new independent report ranked New York communities among the safest in the nation based on violent crime rates, emergency services and other key metrics. Eight counties across New York State, including counties in Long Island, the Hudson Valley and New York City, were recognized in the U.S. News & World Report ranking of “The Top 25 Safest Communities in America” – more than any other state in the nation. Four counties were among the top ten, and one county – Nassau – was ranked the safest in the nation.

“Public safety is my top priority and I’ve been laser-focused on fighting crime from the moment I took office,” Governor Hochul said. “Our approach is working, as murders, shootings, violent crime and property crime have declined statewide. But make no mistake: our work is not over, and I’ll continue working to ensure our state is safer for all.”

New York’s nation-leading performance in this new ranking reflects a broad and ongoing decline in crime. Statewide crime is down 6% year over year, according to data from both the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and NYPD CompStat.

The U.S. News & World Report analysis recognized the following counties among the Top 25 Safest in America – with many of them seeing significant year-over-year declines in crime for the first half of 2024:

  • Long Island: Nassau – 18% decline; Suffolk – 13% decline
  • Hudson Valley: Rockland – 26% decline; Westchester – 8% decline; Putnam – 15% decline in 2023 (2024 data pending)
  • New York City: Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island – combined 3.5% decline

As New York continues to make nation-leading progress in tackling crime, Governor Hochul has also continued to make historic investments in new crime-fighting initiatives statewide, amounting to more than $800 million in investments in tested programs and initiatives.

The Governor’s investments also include nationally recognized initiatives administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which provides funding, training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations in communities hardest hit by gun violence and violent crime:

  • Nearly $36 million for the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative. Through GIVE, DCJS helps 28 police departments in 21 counties implement evidence-based strategies that have proven to be successful at reducing gun violence, including Problem-Oriented Policing, Hot-Spots Policing, Focused Deterrence/Group Violence Intervention, Street Outreach, and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design. These strategies focus on the few people and places that are responsible for most of the violence and engage the broader community to build trust. GIVE also funds district attorneys’ offices, probation departments, and sheriffs’ offices in those counties.
    • $21 million for the SNUG Street Outreach program, which uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting transmission, and treating individuals, families and communities affected by violence. Community-based organizations and hospitals operate the program in 14 communities and employ nearly 200 outreach workers, social workers and case managers. Outreach workers are credible messengers who have lost loved ones to violence or have prior justice system involvement. They respond to shootings to prevent retaliation, detect conflicts, and resolve them peacefully before they lead to additional violence. Social workers and case managers work with individuals affected by community violence, including friends and family. DCJS also supports New York City’s violence interruption efforts, providing $5 million for its Crisis Management System (CMS) so it can bring those programs to scale.
    • $18 million for the state’s unique network of Crime Analysis Centers, which analyze, compile and distribute information, intelligence and data to local law enforcement agencies statewide. No other state has anything similar and the centers – operated in partnership with local law enforcement agencies in 10 counties and New York City – are hubs of state and local efforts to deter, investigate, and solve crimes. Last year alone, staff handled more than 90,000 requests for assistance, helping agencies solve everything from retail theft to murders.
    • Up to $20 million for Project RISE, a unique funding model that convenes community stakeholders to respond to gun violence, invest in solutions, sustain positive programming, and empower communities. In its first year, the initiative supported 99 organizations, including 74 small, grassroots programs, many of which had never received state support fort their work. Programs and services funded by RISE include academic support, employment services, mentoring, and delinquency/violence prevention.

“Governor Hochul’s comprehensive investment in programs and strategies to address the pandemic-era increase in crime is paying dividends,” New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said. “The DCJS budget is the largest in its history, allowing us to provide record-level funding to law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations addressing the causes and consequences of crime. I want to recognize our local partners for their tremendous efforts and my staff for their commitment to this important work.”

See also:
Facts Belie Republican Lies about Democrats’ Record on Crime, Immigration

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© 2024 News & Photo Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. For editorial feature and photo information, go to www.news-photos-features.com, email [email protected]. Blogging at www.dailykos.com/blogs/NewsPhotosFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures, Tweet @KarenBRubin

Biden Administration, Immigration-Migration-Refugees, News & Photo Features

Biden Administration Implements New Initiatives to Beat Opioid Epidemic; Calls on Congress to Act

President Biden has just issued a National Security Memorandum directing every federal Department and Agency to do even more to stop the flow of narcotics—including fentanyl—into our country, but in the end, it is up to Congress to act, which Republicans refuse to do because they want to use the border crisis and fentanyl issue to campaign on. Biden’s statement and a fact sheet of the new administration initiatives to beat back the opioid epidemic were provided by the White House:

“Our Administration’s efforts have helped lead to the first decline in overdose deaths in five years.  We have seized more fentanyl at our border in the last two years than in the last five years combined, arrested and prosecuted dozens of high-level drug traffickers and cartel leaders, sanctioned over 300 entities and individuals involved in the global illicit drug trade, and forged historic counternarcotics cooperation with China. Still, far too many of our fellow Americans continue to lose loved ones to fentanyl. This is a time to act. And this is a time to stand together—for all those we have lost, and for all the lives we can still save.
 
“Today, I will issue a National Security Memorandum directing every federal Department and Agency to do even more to stop the flow of narcotics—including fentanyl—into our country.
 
“This Memorandum builds on my Unity Agenda, which made ending the opioid epidemic a top priority. It will enable our government to disrupt drug cartels—and their suppliers and financiers—more quickly and effectively. It will increase intelligence collection on traffickers’ evolving tactics to smuggle narcotics into our country. And it will help our law enforcement personnel seize more deadly drugs before they reach our communities. This Memorandum will also complement our historic work to expand access to treatment, including by making naloxone—the life-saving medication that reverses the effects of opioids—widely available over the counter for the first time. 
 
“I’m calling on Congress to do their part—including passing the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Detect and Defeat” proposals. These bipartisan proposals increase penalties on drug smugglers, give border officials key tools they need to target fentanyl at our border, and close other loopholes that traffickers exploit. I also once again urge Congress to pass the bipartisan border security agreement which provides funding for more border agents and more drug detection machines. These are the key investments needed to stop fentanyl from reaching our communities.” 

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Counter the Scourge of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Drugs

Far too many Americans have lost children, spouses, and friends to dangerous drugs like illicitly manufactured fentanyl. It is a scourge that has no geographic or political boundaries, wreaking havoc on families and communities in all parts of America. That’s why since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has made disrupting the supply of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic drugs a core priority. As part of their Unity Agenda for the nation, President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken a number of actions to combat the opioid epidemic: 

  • Border officials have stopped more illicit fentanyl at ports of entry in the past two fiscal years than in the previous five fiscal years combined.  In just the last five months, over 442 million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl were seized at U.S. borders. The Biden-Harris Administration continues to invest in detection technology at U.S. borders, adding dozens of new inspection systems, with dozens more coming online next year. 
  • The Biden-Harris Administration has made naloxone, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication, widely available over the counter, and has invested over $82 billion in treatment – 40 percent more than the previous Administration. 
  • In 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order targeting foreign persons engaged in the global illicit drug trade and has since sanctioned over 300 persons and entities under this authority, thereby cutting them off from the United States’ financial system.

 
Due to these efforts, the number of overdose deaths in the United States has started to decline for the first time in five years. But even one death is one too many. And so today, President Biden will issue a new National Security Memorandum calling on all relevant Federal Departments and Agencies to do even more to stop the supply of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids in our country. President Biden and Vice President Harris also are calling on Congress to enact legislation to increase penalties on those who bring deadly drugs into our communities and to close loopholes that drug traffickers exploit.
 
The National Security Memorandum
 
The National Security Memorandum (NSM) that the President will issue calls on all relevant Federal Departments and Agencies to do even more to stop the supply of illicit fentanyl other synthetic opioids into our country.  As drug traffickers and suppliers adapt, we must do so as well.  The NSM directs even more intelligence collection, even more intensive coordination and cooperation across Departments and Agencies, and even more actions to disrupt the production and distribution of illicit fentanyl. The NSM is one more step forward in the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued focus on dramatically reducing the supply of illicit drugs and their precursor chemicals, and protecting American lives.
 
Detect and Defeat Proposal
 
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is also encouraging Congress to take action to combat illicit fentanyl, including by passing the Administration’s “Detect and Defeat” Counter-Fentanyl Proposal.  This proposal incorporates many of the bipartisan ideas put forward by Members of Congress, and will increase the United States’ ability to detect and seize illicit drugs and hold drug traffickers accountable.  The proposal would give border officials the tools they need to more effectively track and target the millions of small-dollar shipments that cross our borders every day—closing a loophole that drug traffickers exploit.  It would establish a nation-wide pill press and tableting machine registry so that law enforcement officials can track these machines and protect against their illicit use in producing fake fentanyl pills. And it would permanently regulate fentanyl-related substances as “Schedule I” drugs—subjecting the distribution and possession of these drugs to heightened penalties. 
 
Today’s actions build on a series of additional steps the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to combat the opioid epidemic, including: 

Biden Administration, College Affordability, Education, News & Photo Features

Biden-Harris Administration Takes Next Step Toward Additional Debt Relief for Tens of Millions of Student Loan Borrowers This Fall

President Biden presses ahead with efforts to relieve millions of Americans from the burden of student loan debt © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

In a clear demonstration of the Biden Administration refusing to give up or give in, President Biden just announced next steps to cancel student debt for some 30 million Americans – despite Republicans actually going to the Supreme Court to prevent the administration from exercising its authority.

 “Today, my Administration took another major step to cancel student debt for approximately 30 million Americans,,” President Biden stated. “By providing more information to borrowers on how they can take advantage of our upcoming debt relief programs, borrowers will be prepared to benefit swiftly once the rules are final. Despite attempts led by Republican elected officials to block our efforts, we won’t stop fighting to provide relief to student loan borrowers, fix the broken student loan system, and help borrowers get out from under the burden of student debt. 
 
“Today’s announcement comes on top of the significant progress we’ve made for students and borrowers over the past three years. That includes canceling student debt for nearly 5 million Americans so far through various actions; providing the largest increases to the maximum Pell Grant in over a decade; fixing Income-Driven Repayment so borrowers get the relief they are entitled to under the law; and holding colleges accountable for taking advantage of students and families.
 
:From day one of my Administration, I promised to fight to ensure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. I will never stop working to make higher education affordable and to make sure our Administration delivers for the American people.”

This fact sheet was provided by the White House:

Next Step Toward Additional Debt Relief for Tens of Millions of Student Loan Borrowers This Fall

Starting tomorrow, the Department will email borrowers telling them about potential debt relief and giving them the opportunity to opt out   

The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that it will begin the next step toward providing student debt relief to tens of millions of borrowers this Fall. Starting tomorrow, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) will begin emailing all borrowers with at least one outstanding federally held student loan to provide updates on potential student debt relief, and to inform them they have until August 30 to call their servicer and opt out if they do not want this relief.

The rules that would provide this relief are not yet finalized, and the email does not guarantee specific borrowers will be eligible. The Department will provide additional information to borrowers once the rules are finalized this fall. These proposed rules build upon the Administration’s existing work that has approved more than $168 billion in student loan relief for nearly 4.8 million borrowers through various actions. These rules, if finalized as proposed, would bring the total number of borrowers eligible for student debt relief to over 30 million, including borrowers who have already been approved for debt cancellation by the Biden-Harris Administration over the past three years. 

“Today, the Biden-Harris administration takes another step forward in our drive to deliver student debt relief to borrowers who’ve been failed by a broken system,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “These latest steps will mark the next milestone in our efforts to help millions of borrowers who’ve been buried under a mountain of student loan interest, or who took on debt to pay for college programs that left them worse off financially, those who have been paying their loans for twenty or more years, and many others. The Biden-Harris Administration made a commitment to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible, and today, as we near the end of a lengthy rulemaking process, we’re one step closer to keeping that promise.” 

In April, the Administration released its first set of draft rules that proposed authorizing the Secretary of Education to grant student debt relief to tens of millions of borrowers across the country, including those whose balances have grown due to runaway interest and those who entered repayment on their loans a long time ago, among others. If these rules are finalized as the Department has proposed, they would authorize the Secretary of Education to provide partial or full debt relief for the following groups of borrowers:

  • Borrowers who owe more now than they did at the start of repayment. Borrowers would be eligible for relief if they have a current balance on certain types of Federal student loans that is greater than the balance of that loan when it entered repayment due to runaway interest. The Department estimates that this debt relief would impact nearly 23 million borrowers, the majority of whom are Pell Grant recipients.
    • Borrowers who have been in repayment for decades. If a borrower with only undergraduate loans has been in repayment for more than 20 years (received on or before July 1, 2005), they would be eligible for this relief. Borrowers with at least one graduate loan who have been in repayment for more than 25 years (received on or before July 1, 2000) would also be eligible.
    • Borrowers who are otherwise eligible for loan forgiveness but have not yet applied. If a borrower hasn’t successfully enrolled in an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan but would be eligible for immediate forgiveness, they would be eligible for relief. Borrowers who would be eligible for closed school discharge or other types of forgiveness opportunities but haven’t successfully applied would also be eligible for this relief.
    • Borrowers who enrolled in low-financial value programs. If a borrower attended an institution that failed to provide sufficient financial value, or that failed one of the Department’s accountability standards for institutions, those borrowers would also be eligible for debt relief.

If finalized as proposed, these new rules would authorize relief for borrowers across the country who have struggled with the burden of student loan debt. The Department expects that all four of these proposed forms of relief would be provided to eligible borrowers without requiring any action from borrowers; no application would be needed.

If, however, borrowers prefer to opt out of this debt relief for any reason, they can do so by contacting their servicer by Aug. 30, 2024. Borrowers who opt out of this debt relief will not be able to opt back in, and they will also be temporarily opted out of forgiveness due to enrollment in an IDR plan until the Department is able to automatically assess their eligibility for that benefit in a few months. In addition, borrowers would only be eligible for the proposed relief if they have entered repayment at the time that the Department would be determining eligibility, after the proposed rules are finalized.

More information for borrowers about this debt relief is available at StudentAid.gov/debt-relief.

An unparalleled track record of borrower assistance

The Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic steps to reduce the burden of student debt and ensure that student loans are not a barrier to educational and economic opportunity for students and families. The Administration secured a $900 increase to the maximum Pell Grant—the largest increase in a decade—and finalized new rules to help protect borrowers from career programs that leave graduates with unaffordable debts or insufficient earnings. The Administration continues its work to issue debt relief regulations under the Higher Education Act, with final regulations expected this fall.

The Biden-Harris Administration has approved the following debt relief for borrowers:

  • $69.2 billion for 946,000 borrowers through fixes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
    • $51 billion for more than 1 million borrowers through administrative adjustments to IDR payment counts. These adjustments have brought borrowers closer to forgiveness and addressed longstanding concerns with the misuse of forbearance by loan servicers.
    • $28.7 billion for more than 1.6 million borrowers who were cheated by their schools, saw their institutions precipitously close, or are covered by related court settlements.
    • $14.1 billion for more than 548,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability.

$5.5 billion for 414,000 borrowers through the SAVE Plan

Biden Administration, Economy, National Security, News & Photo Features

National Security Advisor Affirms Importance of Civilian, Military Mariners to America’s Global Primacy in Commencement Address to US Merchant Marine Academy

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point, NY graduated 214 new U.S. Merchant Marine and Military Officers in its Class of 2024 commencement ceremony © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

By Karen Rubin, News-Photos-Features.com, [email protected]

In a commanding display how important civilian and military mariners are to U.S. national and economic security, this year’s U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduation featured an array of top brass including keynote speaker National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan; U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi; Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg; Maritime Administer Rear Admiral Ann C. Phillips; General Eric M. Smith, the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps; Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nuna, the 14th Superintendent of USMMA; and Rear Admiral Dianna Wolfson (USMMA class of ’96), who delivered the distinguished  Alumna speech on the 50th anniversary of the first women to be admitted to USMMA, indeed, any federal  service academy.

In a commanding display how important civilian and military mariners are to U.S. national and economic security, this year’s U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduation featured an array of top brass including keynote speaker National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan; Congressman Tom Suozzi; Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg; Maritime Administer Rear Admiral Ann C. Phillips; General Eric M. Smith, the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps;Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nuna, the 14th Superintendent of USMMA; and Rear Admiral Dianna Wolfson (’96), who delivered the distinguished  Alumna speech on the 50th anniversary of the first women to be admitted to USMMA, indeed, any federal  service academy. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Their speeches were inspiring and captured the “pivotal” inflection of time as the U.S. fights to maintain its primacy of the sea and keep commerce (90 percent of trade conducted by sea) free flowing, tackle the challenges of Ukraine, China’s incursions into the Pacific, the threats in the Mediterranean by non-state actors. In all of these, mariners in civilian shipping and mariners in the military play a key role to keep the seas open and free to trade, or to deliver critical supplies to the front lines

In his keynote address, Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor told the 214 graduates, “as the President’s National Security Advisor, I see the impact of the U.S. Merchant Marine every single day.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

In his keynote address, Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor told the 214 graduates, “You have much to be proud of and the path you have chosen is a tremendously honorable one. As soon-to-be ensigns and second lieutenants, assistant engineers, and third mates, you will crew ships that are essential to our Nation’s security,” said Sullivan. “You’ll spend a large part of your life at sea so your fellow Americans can live safely at home.”

Rear Admiral Ann c. Phillips, Maritime Administrator emphasizes the importance of the United States maintaining its primacy on the sea and the role the US Merchant Marine Academy plays © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

He continued, “Now, as the President’s National Security Advisor, I see the impact of the U.S. Merchant Marine every single day. In the Atlantic, you are making sure that ammunition reaches Ukrainian soldiers fighting for their freedom. In the Pacific, you are deterring aggression and upholding freedom of navigation. In the Red Sea, as Admiral Nunan and Administrator Phillips referenced, you’re facing down unprecedented attacks against international trade in one of the most vital waterways in the world. At ports, on decks, and in engine rooms around the globe, the Blue and Gray help keep our people safe and our country strong. And in return, we owe it to you to keep the merchant marine strong and that’s why President Biden is taking historic steps to spur investment in ships made in American shipyards, built with American supplies, and crewed by American Mariners.”

Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nunan, USMMA superintendent, addressed the “Covid kids,” the Class that arrived at the height of the pandemic, and said, “Class of 2024, you were always determined, a breed apart, the essence of Acta non Verba!” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

As Superintendent, Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nunan, USMS, addressed the “Covid kids,” the Class that arrived at the height of the pandemic, and said, “Somehow, you kept your faith in Kings Point’s promise that the world would open to you. Class of 2024, you were always determined, a breed apart, the essence of Acta non Verba!”

Distinguished Alumna Rear Adm. Dianna Wolfson, USN, Director of Fleet Maintenance, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Class of ’96, said, “We stand at a pivotal moment today, facing formidable challenges on the horizon but I have every confidence that the men and women graduating here today are not just equipped to face these challenges, but to conquer them.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Speaking to the new graduates, Distinguished Alumna Rear Adm. Dianna Wolfson, USN, Director of Fleet Maintenance, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Class of ’96, said, “We stand at a pivotal moment today, facing formidable challenges on the horizon but I have every confidence that the men and women graduating here today are not just equipped to face these challenges, but to conquer them.”

General Eric M. Smith, USMC, 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps, administered the commissioning oath  to the 214 graduates before an audience of more than 3,000 © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

As part of the commencement exercises, General Eric M. Smith, USMC, 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps, administered the commissioning oath  to the 214 graduates before an audience of more than 3,000, including family members, and representatives from the federal government, U.S. military, and maritime industry.

The 214 US Merchant Marine Academy graduates take their oath © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Rear Adm. Michael E. Platt, USCG, Commander, First Coast Guard District, administered the Merchant Mariner Oath to all the graduates and 56 graduates were also sworn in as active-duty officers in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The remaining graduates will serve as Navy reservists in the Strategic Sealift Officer Program while working as USCG-Licensed Mariners aboard deep-sea vessels, offshore supply vessels, tugs, and towing vessels.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan congratulates the USMMA valedictorian Midshipman First Class Zachary Makram Almadani of Colorado Springs, CO © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

After the ceremony concluded, Admiral Nunan said, “the presence of the National Security Advisor and the Commandant of the Marine Corps was not just an honor but a testament to the critical role the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy plays in protecting our nation.  Their participation added overwhelming excitement and pride among the graduates and their families, and was matched only by the enjoyment they showed in joining us.”

Graduates give the US Merchant Marine Academy traditional “hip hip hurray” cheer © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Each Congressionally nominated graduate received a Bachelor of Science Degree and an unlimited Merchant Marine Officer license from the Coast Guard, and an officer’s commission in the Navy or other branch of the military. In exchange for their education, each has the option of serving as a Merchant Marine Officer while concurrently serving in any branch of the U.S. military in the reserves or serving five years of active duty. USMMA graduates ensure a steady stream of Merchant Marine Officers who support the nation’s economic and security requirements in times of peace and war.

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, located in Kings Point, N.Y, educates and graduates leaders of exemplary character who are inspired to serve the national security, marine transportation, and economic needs of the United States as licensed Merchant Marine Officers and commissioned officers in the Armed Forces. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Academy, which was established under the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, as the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 1943. It is administered by the Maritime Administration under the auspices of the Department of Transportation.

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