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A group of 13 House Republicans who cast decisive votes for President Donald Trump’s signature spending bill are now calling on Senate GOP leaders to scale back its deep cuts to clean energy incentives, signaling regret over provisions that could disrupt energy projects and investment nationwide.
In a letter sent Friday, the lawmakers — led by Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) — said they remain “deeply concerned” about sections of the bill that would abruptly terminate clean energy tax credits and restrict their transferability. These provisions, they warned, jeopardize infrastructure development and long-term private sector investments.
“This approach jeopardizes ongoing development, discourages long-term investment, and could significantly delay or cancel energy infrastructure projects across the country,” the lawmakers wrote.
Their appeal to Senate Republicans comes just weeks after they helped pass the legislation in the House by a narrow margin — a move that now threatens to backfire in politically competitive districts heading into the 2026 midterms.
Political Calculus and Regret
Most of the 13 signatories represent swing districts that Democrats are targeting, including Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Don Bacon (Neb.), Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), and David Valadao (Calif.). The remaining signers — such as Reps. Mark Amodei (Nev.) and Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.) — hold safer seats but share concerns over the bill’s impact on energy investment.
The letter stops short of threatening to block the bill’s final passage but urges Senate Republicans to “mitigate” the harm through revisions.
The letter’s publication prompted sharp pushback from conservative hardliners, who argue the bill’s clean energy cuts — largely targeting subsidies enacted in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act — were essential to win support from fiscal conservatives.
“You backslide one inch on those IRA subsidies and I’m voting against this bill,” warned Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) on the House floor. “House of Lords, have your fun. But if you mess up the Green New Scam subsidies, I ain’t voting for that bill.”
Democrats: “Too Little, Too Late”
Democrats, meanwhile, ridiculed the 13 Republicans’ pivot as political damage control.
“These 13 Republicans promised not to support cuts to clean energy tax credits, then cast the deciding votes to raise energy costs on American families,” said DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton.
“This toothless letter is the worst kind of political hypocrisy.”
Kiggans’ office did not respond to requests for clarification about whether she was aware of the bill’s specific provisions before voting for it — or whether she would now oppose it without changes.
Senate GOP Response: Small Tweaks Likely
In the Senate, Republicans appear open to revising the bill — but only slightly.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, said the final bill may relax some of the tight deadlines that threaten projects already in development.
“I imagine it’s going to track fairly similarly,” Capito said. “But I think some of the deadlines are pretty tight.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) echoed those concerns, saying the Senate should ensure that businesses with active projects are “held harmless.”
“Whether or not we continue some of these programs out into the future — that’s a separate question that I’m willing to entertain,” he said.
Conservative Pressure Campaign
Outside the Capitol, the Club for Growth is ramping up pressure on GOP senators perceived as weakening the bill’s rollbacks. The group is airing ads targeting Sens. Kevin Cramer (N.D.), John Curtis (Utah), and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) for supporting more moderate clean energy provisions that benefit their states.
The bill’s passage remains precarious. With only a 220–212 Republican majority in the House, GOP leaders can afford to lose just three votes if the Senate returns a revised version. If moderates or hardliners defect, the legislation could unravel.
As Congress braces for a high-stakes showdown over clean energy and infrastructure funding, the internal GOP divide underscores the tightrope House Republicans must walk between ideological purity and political survival.
