Senate Democrats are making a longshot appeal to Republicans against repealing Biden-era clean energy tax credits in President Donald Trump’s domestic policy bill by using the GOP’s own talking points on energy.
Democrats and environmental groups are stealing a phrase from Republicans and Big Oil to warn of an economic fallout that would undermine “American energy dominance” rather than harp how nixing Inflation Reduction Act credits would further fuel climate change.
“They could get rid of this stuff because of their politics, but they would end up with electricity rates skyrocketing in their home states and a big job loss,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) told the Washington Examiner. “I think that’s certainly a stronger message in that corner of the political universe than whatever I want to say.”
Democrats haven’t entirely abandoned climate change talking points. But they have taken a noticeable back seat to the pitch that Trump-won states, where the majority of the clean energy credits have flowed, stand to lose out the most. It’s created complicated politics, particularly for more centrist House Republicans.
“That’s a long-term economic win for red states, if they can free themselves from the grip of the fossil fuel industry,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), a leading climate activist, told the Washington Examiner. “It’s better for these jobs to be in red states in the United States than to be in China.”
Still, the shift in strategy is doing more to turn away the few GOP senators who oppose axing roughly $500 billion in green energy tax breaks for things like electric vehicle buyers, industrial battery plants, and boosting renewable energy production.
Sen. John Curtis (R-UT), a conservative clean energy advocate, wants Republicans to be more “thoughtful” on which credits and how many are cut. He made a tongue-in-cheek offer to Democrats on Trump’s legislation.
“If they want to make a difference, tell me they’ll vote for it if I get in what they want,” Curtis told the Washington Examiner. “That’s my counteroffer. Tell me they’ll vote for it.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) was likewise unmoved and whacked Democrats for opposing the extension of $4 trillion in Trump’s first-term tax cuts for businesses and individuals that are the focal point of the massive legislation. Tillis and Curtis, as well as Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), are among the Republicans who’ve urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) against a “full-scale repeal of current credits.”
“Democrats are also making an appeal to be responsible for the largest tax increase in U.S. history,” Tillis told the Washington Examiner, adding he’s “trying to get to a good spot” on the energy credits. “We’re here because of the way [they] crafted these things back with the [Inflation Reduction Act].”
Most Republicans want to barrel ahead with rolling back what they see as wasteful green energy spending akin to the Green New Deal, despite factions in both chambers who feel otherwise. But many GOP lawmakers only see hypocrisy in Democrats’ messaging.
“They’ve done more to hurt American energy and to undermine our country and to put us in a noose over the last four years than anything you can imagine,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) said.
Still, Democrats see the tactic as their best shot at potentially convincing enough congressional Republicans to save the climate provisions that were among former President Joe Biden’s legislative achievements.
Slashing the credits would be “horrible for consumers. It’s horrible for jobs,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said. “It’s horrible for American independence with China.”
Citing a Freddie Mac economist, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), the Environment and Public Works Committee’s top Democrat, said a “climate meltdown leads to insurance meltdown, leads to mortgage meltdown, leads to property values crash, leads to recession.”
FINAL HOUSE GOP MEGABILL ACCELERATES CLEAN ENERGY CUTS, WITH RELIEF FOR NUCLEAR
Climate Power, an advocacy group, circulated a letter to senators from hundreds of clean energy businesses and organizations cautioning that Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act would be “catastrophic for the American economy and American energy dominance.”
“It’s all wrapped up together,” Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said of parsing a difference between climate and the economy. “I don’t think you can separate it. It’s one issue, as far as I’m concerned.”
David Sivak contributed to this report.