Dems’ climate, energy, tax bill clears initial Senate hurdle

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Senate has voted to start debating Democrats’ election-year economic bill. The sprawling measure contains many of President Joe Biden’s climate, energy, health and tax goals. United Democrats pushed the 755-page measure through the Senate on a party-line vote. That was a preview of votes on what was expected to be a mountain of amendments, mostly from Republicans trying to derail the legislation. The package is a dwindled version of earlier multitrillion-dollar bills from Biden that Democrats failed to advance. The measure has become a partisan battleground over inflation, gasoline prices and other issues that polls show are driving voters.