Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The “Big, Ugly Bill” Killing Over 800,000 Clean Energy Jobs And Adding $170 Billion To Americans’ Household Energy Costs

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on Donald Trump and Republicans’ “Big, Beautiful Bill” which would have drastic effects on the U.S. economy by killing over 800,000 clean energy jobs, forcing the U.S. to be dependent on China, sending energy jobs overseas and adding an additional $170 billion in energy costs on American households. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

This week, Republicans continue their tortured efforts to ram Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” through the Senate.

Now some Senate Republicans are starting to balk at the fact that their bill is a clean job killer. It virtually ends all of the tax credits that we gave to wind, solar, and other clean energy.

If Senate Republicans have any desire to lower energy costs, and avoid shipping energy jobs overseas, they should hit the eject button on this “Big, Beautiful Bill” and start over.

Experts from across the political spectrum are starting to agree Donald Trump’s bill is far too radical and deeply flawed. And to boot, it was passed in the dark of night, when even many Republicans didn't know what's in it. A few even admitted that publicly.

On jobs, their bill will kill over 800,000 good-paying clean energy jobs by 2030 alone.

That would be a disaster for the economy just as clean energy is taking off.

These jobs will last for generations. Clean energy tax credits made them possible. And 85% of the investments generated by these tax credits have gone to red [districts].

Did you hear that, Republican colleagues? If Republicans proceed with the bill, they will put Americans out of work in their own states. And the American people, and these workers in particular, are starting to see it.

Just last week, a battery plant in South Carolina paused a billion-dollar project because of “policy uncertainty” – in other words, because of Republican sabotage.

And the closure in South Carolina is a canary in the coal mine if there ever was one: if Donald Trump’s bill passes, more jobs disappear.  

And talk about costs – [we thought it was] going to add $32 billion on household energy costs.

And today we got the news that Donald Trump’s bill is worse than we thought: Americans will now pay up to $170 billion – not $32 billion – more on energy.

Let me say that again: $170 billion more for the American consumer to pay on electric bills, for small business to pay on electric bills. Republicans, because they just want to so embrace the radical, anti-clean energy fossil fuel group, will raise Americans' costs by a dramatic amount.

They also make us dependent on China. China is gaining in solar energy. If we cut it off, China will dominate the world, and our children and grandchildren will be at China's behest.

It will push about $80 billion in solar and battery manufacturing jobs overseas. More jobs in Chengdu. Fewer in Cleveland and Charleston.

We all know AI and crypto are going to cause American energy demand to spike massively in the coming years. Why the heck cut off one of the sources?

There are many who say all of the above. Okay, but why cut off one part of that all of the above because the radicals – not the mainstream but the radicals – in the fossil fuel industry are almost religious in their hatred of clean energy, because they know it is the future and will eventually displace them?

And that's why this week, I have been working 24/7 with so many different people, whether it's workers or companies or governors, to spread the word how bad this is. We are asking all of America: if you don't like these provisions, if you think it will lose your job, if you think it will raise your cost, call your Republican senator and tell them to change.

Most of the Republicans didn't like it to begin with, but it was rushed through in the dark of night.

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