U.S. Senate to take up $430 billion drug, energy bill in rare Saturday session-Schumer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate will convene on Saturday as Democrats seek to push through a $430 billion drug pricing, energy and tax bill over Republican objections, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday.

Schumer said the chamber would convene at noon to vote on a motion to proceed and then begin debate on the bill.

The bill known as the Inflation Reduction Act, introduced last week by Schumer and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, represents a key priority for Democrats and President Joe Biden ahead of November’s election battle for control of the U.S. Congress.

With the 100-seat Senate split 50-50, Democrats plan to pass the bill without Republican support through a parliamentary process known as reconciliation.

But they cannot afford to lose support from a single lawmaker and one Democrat, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, has not voiced her position on the bill.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Mary Milliken and Daniel Wallis)