LIHU‘E — Air Force Two has touched down on the Garden Isle.
A week after casting the deciding vote on the landmark Inflation Reduction Act in the Senate, Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at Lihu‘e Airport Monday.
State Department of Transportation spokesperson Jai Cunningham confirmed the vice president’s arrival Monday and reported that the Kaua‘i Police Department had provided her with an escort.
Harris’ visit comes after a string of legislative achievements for the administration of President Joe Biden, most notably the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed the House Friday.
The Democrat-backed, $740-billion legislation includes $375 billion to fight climate change, largely through tax credits to incentivize renewable energy.
The bill includes an adjustment to the current tax-credit program which gives nonprofit energy companies like the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative new access to incentives, which could lower energy prices on island, KIUC President and CEO David Bissell reported.
It is paid for largely through new taxes on corporations.
The bill also includes a provision that allows Medicare to negotiate with drug companies on the prices of certain drugs for several years.
Harris described the bill as “historic achievement” that “will lower energy bills for working families and support environmental justice.”
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reports that the bill is projected to lead to “lower government debt, higher wages, higher total factor productivity and higher GDP.”
However, despite its name, the CBO projects that Inflation Reduction Act will have little to no impact on inflation.
Harris provided the tie-breaking vote for the act, which passed the Senate 51-50.
On Aug. 9 Biden signed the CHIPS Act, which would provide $53 billion to processor manufacturers in an attempt to bring the semi-conductor industry back to the United States. The bill also includes tax credits for the American semi-conductor industry and $170 billion in authorization for research and development programs.
And on Aug. 10 Biden signed into law the PACT Act, which provides benefits and care to millions of veterans exposed to toxic substances during service.
These legislative victories represent a flipping of the script for the Biden administration, which despite holding majorities in both chambers of Congress has seen its main legislative goals stymied by opposition from Republicans and conservative Democrats.
Since Biden’s inauguration in Jan. 2021, Harris has been largely focused on Central American immigration and voting-rights reform.
Harris’ visit went unannounced to media and is presumably a vacation.
Air Force Two remains visible on the tarmac on the eastern side of Lihu‘e Airport.
•••
Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 808-647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.
