Biden news – live: President promises Kentucky more aid, calling floods part of ‘dangerous’ climate crisis

Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of what will be a significant week in the presidency of Joe Biden as he returns to public duties from Covid isolation.

He will be signing two major pieces of legislation into law this week and a third, the landmark Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which passed the Senate at the weekend, will go before the House of Representatives on Friday.

First, the president and First Lady Jill Biden are travelling to eastern Kentucky to meet survivors and see damage from the flash-floods that struck the former coal mining region, killing 37.

Ending his most recent Covid-19 isolation, President Joe Biden on Sunday left the White House for the first time since becoming infected with the coronavirus last month and headed to a reunion with first lady Jill Biden in their home state of Delaware.

The president had tested negative Saturday, clearing the way to emerge from an isolation that lasted longer than expected because of a rebound case of the virus. The White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, had said in his last update that Biden, “in an abundance of caution,” would continue his “strict isolation measures” pending a second negative test. The White House on Sunday did not say whether the president had a second negative test and had not provided a new report from O’Connor since midday Saturday.

“I’m feeling great,” Biden said before boarding Marine One outside the White House.

The Bidens are expected to spend the day in Rehoboth Beach, a popular vacation destination.

Biden originally tested positive on July 21, and he began taking the anti-viral medication Paxlovid, which is intended to decrease the likelihood of serious illness from the virus. According to his doctor, Biden’s vital signs remained normal throughout his infection, but he his symptoms included a runny nose, cough, sore throat and body aches.

After isolating for several days, Biden tested negative on July 26 and July 27, when he gave a speech in the Rose Garden, telling Americans they can “live without fear” of the virus if they get booster shots, test themselves for the virus if they become sick and seek out treatments.

But Biden caught a rare rebound case of COVID-19 on July 30, forcing him to isolate again. He occasionally gave speeches from a White House balcony, such as when he marked the killing of an al-Qaida leader or a strong jobs report.

He continued to test positive until Saturday, when he received his first negative result. While the president was isolating in the White House residence, the first lady remained in Delaware.

AP

Senate Democrats passed their signature legislation tackling the climate crisis and prescription drug prices early on Sunday morning, sending the legislation to the House of Representatives.

The legislation, known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 would be the biggest step that the US government has taken to cut domestic emissions at a moment when global targets are faltering. It will also allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, cap the cost of insulin for Medicare recipients and continue subsidies for Obamacare.

Eric Garcia and John Bowden of The Independent’s Washington bureau and Louise Boyle, New York-based senior climate correspondent, report on the contents of the landmark legislation.

Republicans are facing fierce backlash for stripping proposed legislation that would have capped the price of life-saving insulin at $35 from the tax and climate bill.

The long-running ambition of Democrats to include people not covered by Medicare by capping the price of insulin for those with private coverage was proposed in their wider legislation, called The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Shweta Sharma reports.

After a marathon series of votes and more than a year of planning and negotiation, Senate Democrats on Sunday passed the Inflation Reduction Act – their signature piece of legislation that would both tackle climate change and work to lower prescription drug costs.

All 50 Democrats and vice president Kamala Harris voted to pass the bill after the marathon series of votes on amendments known as a “vote-a-rama.” The bill now heads to the House of Representatives, where it will likely face a swift passage later this week.

If signed, it will be the largest investment in combating climate change in US history.

The Independent’s Eric Garcia reports on who were the big winners and losers as the bill was passed by the Senate.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have arrived in Kentucky to meet with families and survey the damage after the worst flooding in the state’s history.

The Bidens are greeted in Chavies, Kentucky, by Governor Andy Beshear and First Lady Britainy Beshear. They will visit families affected by the devastation from recent flooding and survey impacts and response efforts.

Freed from Covid isolation, President Joe Biden is wasting no time in touting the benefits of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act as it heads to the House this week.

He told reporters on Monday morning as he began his journey to Kentucky:

House Oversight Committee Democrats have begun their push to promote the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act as it heads to the lower chamber of Congress this week.

Focusing on the ability of Medicare to be able to negotiate drug prices directly with manufacturers, they say that there was a loss of $25.1bn between 2014 and 2018 on just seven drugs because of the inability to negotiate fair prices.