Dear Friends,   I came to Congress with a mission to make the federal government a better partner to local communities and to make them more livable, healthy, and economically secure.     Today, Congress made unprecedented progress on fulfilling the fundamental premise of this mission. The House and Senate have both passed the Inflation Reduction Act, a historic investment in our nation’s health, climate, and economy, including several provisions I authored after hearing from many of you about what’s most important to Oregonians.     The last several years have been tumultuous. From the wreckage of the last Administration and the global pandemic to the intensifying climate crisis, and the upheaval in Portland and around the country—I know it has been hard to feel optimistic about the future. It took a long time to get to this point but it is worth it. These critical investments in the health of our communities, our climate, and economy should give us all hope.     As the Inflation Reduction Act moves to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law, I wanted to give you some highlights on its most exciting elements.     On Health Care:  Americans pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world. Americans don’t need to be held hostage by the pharmaceutical industry to fund the world's pharmaceutical research. Due to skyrocketing costs, one in four Americans cannot afford their medication. A senior with complex medical needs, on average, pays more than $6,000 a year on prescription drugs. All the while, drug companies continue to raise their prices, spend billions on marketing, and make some of the highest profits in the world. This is unacceptable.    The Inflation Reduction Act will save Americans $288 billion on health care over the next ten years. Critically, it will allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, starting with the ten most expensive prescriptions. These negotiations will bring down costs for patients and taxpayers, including for those with conditions like asthma or blood clots that can otherwise cost thousands each year to treat.     This legislation will also cap Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 a year, penalize drug companies for outrageous price hikes, and lower Affordable Care Act premiums for millions of Americans.     On Climate:  Oregonians know all too well that the climate crisis is here and rapidly getting worse. We cannot accept the levels of environmental destruction and loss we experienced in the past few years. This package is the single largest investment in climate action in our nation’s history.     It will deliver $385 billion in energy and climate investments, including for electric vehicles, solar and wind energy, pollution reduction, and support for the vulnerable communities most impacted by environmental degradation. The production and investment tax credits to incentivize wind and solar projects are critical components in ending our dependence on fossil fuels. Likewise, I am delighted that my legislation to reinstate the Superfund Tax which ensures that polluters, not taxpayers, are responsible for cleaning up after themselves will be fully ratified into law.     Combatting the climate crisis also means investing in infrastructure that is sustainable and efficient. Clean transportation incentives, which include an expanded electric vehicle credit for new and used vehicles, an expanded credit to charge e-bikes and e-scooters, and incentives to electrify commercial fleets will help accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions and fossil fuels in our day-to-day activities. Likewise, any construction projects in the 21st century must be made to meet the needs and goals of our communities. That’s why I advocated for provisions in this package that make commercial buildings more energy efficient and sustainable.     On Wealth Inequality:   Inflation is hitting Americans hard while many corporations aren’t paying their fair share. A provision in the Inflation Reduction Act ensures that large corporations pay a minimum of 15% in taxes.    It is no secret that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not have the best customer service. Decades of deliberate underfunding has created a crisis for American taxpayers that is unconscionable. This legislation provides $3.2 billion for taxpayer services and $45.6 billion for enforcement, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will raise more than $200 billion in additional revenue for the federal government. By investing in the IRS, we can finally close the “tax gap” between what people owe and what they end up paying.     On The Path Forward:       Let me be clear: this is the decade of decision. In the next ten years we will find out if we are able to manage the various crises we face and improve our living conditions, our climate, and our health. This legislation is much less than what we wanted to be sure, but it is a historic investment in our nation’s climate, health care, and economy that will change the trajectory of our future for the better.     I look forward to seeing the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law. As we celebrate this win, I know there is more work to be done—protecting reproductive health care, addressing the housing crisis, strengthening our democracy, ending the failed war on drugs and much more. I will continue to work tirelessly on these issues, because as bad as the challenges we face are, inaction is not an option. We cannot become disillusioned. We must harness the forces of change to solve problems rather than create new ones. Today’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act proves that we can still come together and do just that.