Rep. Jared Golden joins Sen. Joe Manchin to discuss Inflation Reduction Act

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Congressman Jared Golden joined Senator Joe Manchin Wednesday to discuss what they believe are the benefits of the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.

Golden says it provides a great way to pay down the nation’s debt while lowering prescription drug costs and investing in domestic oil and gas.

He and Manchin say in the short term, Mainers will see gas prices stabilize.

They say right now, we are not energy independent.

Both say this legislation will help us get there. “The Biden Administration was holding up a lot of leases on public lands for oil and gas drilling, and this bill is going to force them to move forward with leasing on that land issuing permits. In the short term, that’s going to increase domestic production, which is really important,” Golden said.

Manchin and Golden say the bill also increases resources to help modernize the IRS and catch up with backlogs.

Golden adds the new agents will not be going after small businesses or people making less than 400-thousand dollars a year.

Bruce Poliquin’s campaign responded in part by saying, “Both Jared Golden and Joe Manchin caved and gave Joe Biden the deciding votes on adding 87,000 new IRS agents and staff to target Americans. Their votes massively increased spending and will likely make inflation worse, not better. They are the poster children for what is wrong in Washington.”

Copyright 2022 WABI. All rights reserved.