Republican senators blocked a provision that would cap the monthly price of insulin at $35 on grounds that it does not conform with the Senate’s budget reconciliation rules.
The proposed addition to the Inflation Reduction Act did not meet the 60-vote threshold necessary after the Senate parliamentarian determined that it did not conform with budget rules that would allow a simple majority for it to pass. Seven Republicans voted with all 50 Democrats after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the ranking member on the budget committee, raised a point of order against the provision.
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The Republicans who voted in favor were Sens. Susan Collins (ME), Josh Hawley (AR), Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), John Kennedy (LA), Bill Cassidy (LA), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Dan Sullivan (AK). The rule does not affect the $35 insulin co-pay for patients on Medicare and only strips the cap for patients on private insurance.
This is the only GOP success so far as the Senate considers dozens of proposals to add to or alter the IRA in a vote-a-rama series that allows senators to propose as many amendments as they wish to the legislation.
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The votes began Saturday, continued throughout the night, and are expected to finish sometime Sunday afternoon.
Although every proposed amendment has been rejected, both sides have used them to put members of the other party on record on contentious policy issues ranging from required COVID-19 vaccines for schoolchildren to border security.
