Senate Democrats reach deal on major climate bill

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Senate Democrats reach deal on major climate bill

Senate Democratic leaders say they have reached an agreement on the party's major climate and economic bill with Kyrsten Sinema, the centrist Democrat whose opposition remained a major hurdle to passing the most ambitious US climate legislation yet.

The measure will be moved through the chamber in the coming days, as a result of the news.

Sinema, the Arizona senator who was seen as the pivotal vote, said in a statement that she had agreed to eleventh-hour changes in the measure's tax and energy provisions and was ready to move forward on the bill.

Securing Sinema's support was pivotal for Democrats after Joe Manchin, the centrist Democrat senator from West Virginia famed for thwarting his own party's climate goals, surprised Washington last week by backing the plan.

The Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday that lawmakers had reached a compromise that I believe will receive the support of all Democrats in the chamber.

Because of the narrow majority of the party and Republican resistance to acting on the climate crisis, it will be necessary to back all 50 Democratic senators to pass legislation in the evenly divided Senate.