Democrats celebrate as climate bill moves to House – and critics weigh in

Senator Bernie Sanders proposed amendments to the bill to expand its healthcare and financial assistance provisions. Those changes were defeated. Photograph: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Democrats celebrated the much-delayed Senate passage of their healthcare and climate spending package, expressing hope that the bill’s approval could improve their prospects in the crucial midterm elections this November.

The bill, formally known as the Inflation Reduction Act, passed the Senate on Sunday in a party-line vote of 51-50, with Vice-President Kamala Harris breaking the tie in the evenly divided chamber.