GOP Moves to Roll Back Biden Climate Policies in Sweeping Reconciliation Bill
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) unveiled a major legislative push late Wednesday to dismantle key climate provisions enacted under President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signaling a broader Republican effort to unwind Democratic environmental policies. The proposed bill seeks to repeal unobligated IRA funds, delay a methane emissions fee for a decade, and overturn Biden’s tailpipe emissions rule—a cornerstone of the administration’s push toward electric vehicles (EVs).
“This legislative text puts in motion plans that Senate Republicans pledged to take, like stopping Democrats’ natural gas tax and rescinding unobligated dollars from the so-called Inflation Reduction Act,” said EPW Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), framing the effort as part of former President Donald Trump’s agenda. Critics of the tailpipe rule argue it functions as an EV mandate by pressuring automakers to rapidly scale up EV production, while opponents of the methane fee—dubbed a “natural gas tax”—contend it would raise energy costs and harm domestic producers.
The bill’s summary asserts that IRA funds were allocated to “duplicative and wasteful initiatives” lacking taxpayer accountability. It also warns that the methane fee could “boost Russia’s production of natural gas” by disadvantaging U.S. energy firms. The GOP’s broader strategy aligns with long-standing conservative opposition to climate regulations, dating back to resistance against the Paris Agreement under Trump and earlier efforts to curb EPA authority.
However, the reconciliation package faces internal GOP divisions. At least four Republican senators—Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), John Curtis (Utah), Thom Tillis (N.C.), and Jerry Moran (Kansas)—have expressed reservations about repealing IRA tax credits wholesale, warning in an April 10 letter that such moves could disrupt energy sector investments and job growth. With Republicans holding a narrow Senate majority, just four defections could sink the bill.
The debate underscores a deepening partisan divide over climate policy, with Democrats defending the IRA as a historic investment in clean energy and Republicans casting it as federal overreach. As the 2024 election looms, the GOP’s reconciliation push may serve as a litmus test for the party’s energy agenda—and its ability to unite behind a contentious rollback of Biden’s climate legacy.
The outcome could hinge on whether Republican leaders can reconcile the demands of pro-energy conservatives with the pragmatic concerns of senators wary of destabilizing the energy market. For now, the bill’s fate remains uncertain, leaving Biden’s climate policies in limbo.
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