Two Republican Senators are throwing a wrench into President Donald Trump’s plans by stalling key Treasury Department nominees over a clash on green energy tax credits.
The Daily Caller reported that Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and John Curtis of Utah have placed holds on three of Trump’s picks for Treasury roles to protest what they see as an overzealous push to gut solar and wind subsidies faster than agreed upon in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
This saga kicked off with the signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a signature piece of legislation under Trump that aimed to balance various energy priorities while offering a phased timeline for green energy tax credits.
Under this law, solar and wind developers got a one-year window to start construction and lock in full subsidies for four more years by spending just 5% of project costs upfront—a deal many saw as a fair compromise.
But then, on July 7, Trump issued an executive order directing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to crack down hard on these subsidies, pushing for new rules on construction start dates that seem to bypass the bill’s negotiated terms.
Enter Grassley and Curtis, who aren’t thrilled about this apparent end-run around Congress and have decided to hit the brakes on confirming Jonathan McKernan, Francis Brooke, and Brian Morrissey for critical Treasury posts.
Grassley, a longtime champion of wind energy who fought for the wind production tax credit, isn’t mincing words about his frustration, logging his objections in the congressional record on a recent Friday.
“I worked with my colleagues to provide wind and solar an appropriate glidepath,” Grassley declared, making it clear he sees the administration’s moves as a betrayal of legislative intent.
Well, Senator, that’s a noble stand, but let’s not pretend wind turbines are the backbone of American grit—many conservatives, including Trump, argue these subsidies prop up an unreliable grid and fatten China’s dominance in green tech supply chains.
Curtis, meanwhile, has stayed mum publicly, but whispers from those in the know suggest he’s equally adamant that the administration stick to the letter of the law on phasing out these credits.
His past arguments for delaying subsidy cuts—claiming they offer investment stability for developers—hint at a pragmatic streak, though some might call it clinging to a flawed system.
Sure, stability matters, but isn’t it time to prioritize energy independence over handouts for industries that often fail to deliver consistent power when the wind dies down or the sun sets?
Adding fuel to the fire, holds like these aren’t just a GOP internal spat—Senate Democrats have slapped holds on nearly all of Trump’s nominees, save for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who sailed through confirmation post-inauguration.
Despite the gridlock, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has managed to confirm 125 civilian nominees, navigating around Democratic filibusters with the finesse of a seasoned tactician.
Still, with Grassley and Curtis digging in, and neither their offices nor the White House responding to inquiries from outlets like the Daily Caller News Foundation, this standoff over green energy policy shows how even Trump’s party can trip up his agenda when pet projects are on the line.