Some House Republicans admit that Harris-backed law ‘created good jobs’
Former President Donald Trump has attacked the clean energy incentives of the Inflation Reduction Act.
A group of Republicans sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson on Aug. 6 admitting that the Inflation Reduction Act has sparked economic growth and led to job creation.
The message asked Johnson to work to preserve tax credits included in the legislation that are being used to encourage companies to invest in clean energy projects and technologies.
Reps. Andrew Garbarino (NY), David Valadao (CA), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR), Marcus Molinaro (NY), Erin Houchin (IN), Anthony D’Esposito (NY), Michael Lawler (NY), Jen Kiggans (VA), Nick LaLota (NY), Young Kim (CA), John Curtis (UT), Don Bacon (NE), Thomas Kean Jr. (NJ), David Joyce (OH), Marianne Miller-Meeks (IA), Juan Ciscomani (AZ), Earl “Buddy” Carter (GA), and Mark Amodei (NV) signed the document.
“Today, many U.S. companies are already using sector-wide energy tax credits – many of which have enjoyed bipartisan support historically – to make major investments in new U.S. energy infrastructure. We hear from industry and our constituents who fear the energy tax regime will once again be turned on its head due to Republican repeal efforts,” the representatives said.
“Prematurely repealing energy tax credits, particularly those which were used to justify investments that already broke ground, would undermine private investments and stop development that is already ongoing. A full repeal would create a worst-case scenario where we would have spent billions of taxpayer dollars and received next to nothing in return.”
The letter noted that the credits have “spurred innovation, incentivized investment, and created good jobs in many parts of the country.”
The Inflation Reduction Act faced unified opposition from Republicans in 2022, including all of the signatories to the new letter who were in Congress at the time. The legislation passed on a party-line vote with Democratic support and made it through the Senate due to a tiebreaking vote by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Since then, many Republicans have said the law should be repealed.
In 2023, during negotiations over raising the federal spending limit, House Republicans passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act. That legislation would have repealed many of the clean energy investments in the law. The Senate, where Democrats are in the majority, declined to vote on the measure and it did not become law.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has attacked the clean energy incentives.
“On day one of my new administration we’re going to throw out Bidenomics and we’re going to replace it with MAGAnomics. And upon taking office, I will impose an immediate moratorium on all new spending grants and giveaways under the Joe Biden mammoth socialist bills like the so-called Inflation Reduction Act. We’re going to save all that money. It’s not helping you at all,” Trump said at a May 1 rally.
