Joe Biden hails Senate deal as ‘most significant’ US climate legislation ever

Proposal backed by centrist senator Joe Manchin also addresses healthcare, tax rises for high earners and cutting federal debt

Joe Biden has hailed a congressional deal that represents the biggest single climate investment in US history - and hands him a badly needed political victory.

In a stunning reversal, Senate Democrats on Wednesday announced an expansive $739bn package that had eluded them for months addressing healthcare and the climate crisis, raising taxes on high earners and corporations and reducing federal debt.