Most Anti-Environmental Bill in U.S. History Gets Even Uglier; Senator Breaks from Trump
Over the weekend, Trump’s big ugly bill got uglier for clean energy. But NC Senator Thom Tillis surprised the nation as he broke with Trump and opposed the bill.
Taxing Clean Energy and Jobs
The most anti-environmental bill in U.S. history just got even worse. Originally, the bill removed important tax credits for clean energy companies, clean vehicles, and home efficiency over set time periods. These tax credits were implemented through the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022. Already, these credits and incentives have helped attract $23 billion in investment to our state, creating 20,000 family-supporting jobs.
But in the newest version, the bill would immediately remove these tax credits and place extra taxes on solar and wind energy. These changes put up even more obstacles to transitioning to clean, affordable energy.
Senator Tillis Breaks with Trump
Pressure from advocates and constituents seems to have swayed Senator Tillis on at least the first vote on Trump’s awful bill. When the Senate moved to vote on the bill, Senator Tillis voted “NO.” The bill still moved forward, but Tillis was one of only two Republicans opposing it (along with Sen. Rand Paul). Tillis said his main reason for opposing the bill is due to the cuts in Medicaid.
“It is inescapable this bill will betray the promise Donald Trump made,” Tillis said. “I’m telling the president that you have been misinformed. You supporting the Senate mark [up] will hurt people who are eligible and qualified for Medicaid.”
Voting started this morning (Monday, June 30th) at 9 a.m. EST.
Thank Sen. Tillis for voting against this bill, and ask that he continue to vote against it today and tomorrow!
Trump Targets Tillis
As is usual for this administration, Trump posted on social media publicly shaming Tillis for his vote against the bill. In his social post Trump specifically hit Tillis on clean energy.
“[Tillis] loves China-made windmills that cost a fortune, ruin the landscape, and produce the most expensive Energy on Earth.”
Sunday afternoon, Senator Tillis broke the news that he will not be seeking reelection in 2026, leaving us all with so many questions. Does this mean he will continue to vote against Trump’s awful bill? Will an environmentally friendly candidate take his place? Should we expect an even more extreme candidate?
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