The IRA, co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and centrist Senator Joe Manchin, features numerous provisions carried over from President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better proposal, aiming to fight inflation by lowering prescription drug costs, investing in clean energy, and empowering the IRS with more agents to enforce tax laws, among other provisions.
After a prolonged overnight debate session, the bill was passed with the help of Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote. It now proceeds to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass.
Jordan, a Republican representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District, shared a tweet on Monday criticizing the bill and alleging that it does not address what “Real Americans” are concerned with.
“Real America wants affordable gas and groceries,” Jordan’s tweet read. “Senate Democrats just gave them higher taxes and 87,000 IRS agents.”
In the wake of Jordan’s tweet, “Real American” began trending on Twitter, with many criticizing his view or correcting the information he presented. One user, going by “JSB,” responded directly to Jordan noting that most American families will not be impacted by the IRA’s tax increases, which mostly target the wealthy and corporations.
According to CNBC in 2020, only around 1.8 percent of American taxpayers were making more than $400,000 a year. Other users reiterated this criticism, adding claims that only the wealthy will be impacted by the new IRS agents targeting tax fraud and evasion.
Some users hit back at Jordan, evoking his alleged part in the Ohio State University abuse scandal. Jordan served as an assistant wrestling coach at the school from 1987 to 1995. In 2018, at least eight former OSU wrestlers accused the congressman of not acting on allegations that a team physician was sexually abusing athletes. Jordan has denied all allegations that he ignored abuses.
When reached for comment on Jordan’s tweet, the White House directed Newsweek to President Biden’s statement on the IRA’s passage from Sunday.
“Today, Senate Democrats sided with American families over special interests, voting to lower the cost of prescription drugs, health insurance, and everyday energy costs and reduce the deficit, while making the wealthiest corporations finally pay their fair share,” Biden’s statement read. “This bill tackles inflation by lowering the deficit and lowering costs for regular families.”
The IRA did not make its way to passage without getting reshaped or losing certain provisions. The bill originally sought to close a tax loophole that allowed hedge fund managers and private equity firm executives to be taxed at a lower rate. This was opposed by Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a moderate Democrat, and was replaced with an excise tax on stock buybacks.
Senate Republicans were also able to block the addition of a cap on insulin prices for those not on Medicare. As the bill was passed through reconciliation, the Senate parliamentarian ruled it a violation of the rules of the process, meaning it would have needed 60 votes in support of its addition to the IRA.
Updated 08/08/2022, 5:28 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from the White House.
