Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Urging Republican Support For Democrats’ CRA To Overturn An IRS Rule That Hurts Clean Energy And Raises Costs For Americans

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor urging Republicans to vote with Democrats to overturn the new rule from the IRS that raises costs on electricity for Americans. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Today's vote is simple-will Republicans join us to save good-paying energy jobs, strengthen our grid, undo the damage of Donald Trump's war on clean energy? Or will they bow before the throne of Big Oil once again?

The CRA vote is a necessary step to reverse the damage from Donald Trump's anti-clean energy vendetta. It will overturn the IRS's eleventh-hour rule change that makes it harder for wind and solar companies to claim tax credits needed to expand investment, increase output, and put Americans to work.

This IRS rule does nothing but raise taxes on energy producers. Experts warn this could raise electricity by 10%. Do you hear that, America? Okay? What Trump has done is going to raise your energy costs 10% just on this alone. It's going up higher because of other things. It also hurts local communities that rely on jobs.

This rule is nothing but another front in Donald Trump's war on affordable American energy. And in this case-it's a harsh word-but it's a corrupt giveaway to his Big Oil and Big Gas donors. It was public. It was in the newspapers. Trump said: you give us a billion dollars in campaign contributions, we'll get rid of all the deregulation giveaways it could possibly imagine. It's a crooked corrupt scheme that is raising people's energy costs along the way.

If you're a senator and you care about good-paying jobs, care about our grid and want to lower people's energy costs, support this resolution.

I thank Senators Cortez Masto, Wyden, and everyone who has shown leadership on this issue.

And I want to thank my Democratic colleagues for leading the way on affordability. Last week, Senate Democrats released our newest Broken Promises report exposing how Donald Trump is driving up people's energy bills. Trump made a promise to the American people on the campaign trail: I will cut your energy bill in half. But has he done that? Of course not. Energy prices are up. And they aren't just up-they are rising and at nearly triple the rate of inflation. Some states seeing double digit increases over just last year.

And now, thanks to Donald Trump's idiotic war with Iran, gas prices are nearly $4 a gallon. We must put a stop to all of this today, and that is what this vote is all about.

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