Federal spending on climate change before 2024 election boosted incumbents of both parties

In 2022, the U.S.

Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a major federal law that allocated $370 billion to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The law focused on providing financial incentives, such as tax credits for purchasing electric vehicles (up to $7,500 per vehicle) and subsidies for making commercial buildings more energy efficient.

Notably, the IRA was passed without a single Republican vote in the U.S.

House or Senate, as it only passed the Senate due to a tiebreaking vote by Vice President Kamala Harris.

Despite this opposition, the law authorized spending that primarily benefited Republican-held congressional districts, with 79% of the law’s investment directed to areas represented by Republican lawmakers.