Big Horrible Budget Bill Still Going To Kill Countless American Jobs

Republicans in the Senate have done what everyone (er … almost everyone) could have predicted. They have passed a huge budget bill that will blow up the US deficit by providing massive tax cuts to billionaires and massive corporations while cutting policies that actually support the US economy and create jobs — like EV industry tax credits and solar industry tax credits.

We, like others, have been warning for months that this is going to cost the country countless jobs. The US economy will be worse for it. But the fossil fuel industry wants it, because oil, coal, and gas companies want less competition. They want to squeeze profits out of their fading industries for as long as possible. And, of course, they own the Republican Party. Why Elon Musk would ever think he should side with them, well, we’d need a large panel of psychologists, psychiatrists, and sociologists to tackle that one. But the fossil fuel industry will get the last laugh when this bill is only slightly modified in the House, gets passed, and gets signed into law by the president.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has tried valiantly to bring attention to all the jobs that will be lost in Republican-controlled states and districts if this bill is passed, and how much that will hurt their economies in general. Alas, it does not matter to Republican Congressmen and Congresswomen.

“Despite limited improvements, this legislation undermines the very foundation of America’s manufacturing comeback and global energy leadership. If this bill becomes law, families will face higher electric bills, factories will shut down, Americans will lose their jobs, and our electric grid will grow weaker,” Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), stated today after the reconciliation bill was passed in the US Senate.

“Enacting this legislation would set back America’s global competitiveness, destabilize our energy future, and weaken the very industries that power our economy and strengthen our national security—while surrendering the 21st-century tech race to China. It will strip the ability of millions of American families to choose the energy savings, energy resilience, and energy freedom that solar and storage provide.” Indeed. It’s horrible, stupid, and bad for the United States. It’s taking the US backwards … again.

“As the House reconsiders this legislation, every member should ask themselves what kind of future they’re voting for. Our communities, our businesses, and our futures are on the line.” It’s a great line. All along the way, SEIA has made great arguments for why the Republican budget bill is stopping progress and bad for America. Is anyone listening? Well, we are, but as I noted above, the Republican Party is more or less owned by the fossil fuel industries.

Anyway, though, for more of an explanation on why the bill is not good news, see these pieces:

• Republican Bill in Congress Threatens 300 US Factories, 300,000 American Jobs
• Repugnican Budget Bill Could Decimate US Solar Industry
• The Bomb That Will Hit The US Solar Industry & US Jobs From The “Big Beautiful Bill”
• Cutting US Energy Credits Doesn’t Save Money. It Steals It From Ratepayers & Local Governments.

Fun stuff. This is what people voted for.