Senate Democrats are preparing to push votes on a flurry of resolutions attacking the Trump administration’s agenda on energy and affordability issues.
Several Democratic senators told POLITICO’s E&E News on Tuesday the party was preparing Congressional Review Act resolutions to hit the floor soon, though the plans are in flux as lawmakers debate contentious elections legislation and seek an off-ramp to the Homeland Security shutdown.
The legislative push is not meant to make law but to put Republicans on the defensive using one of their favorite rule-busting tools — the CRA — a law that expedites consideration of measures to undo administration actions within a certain time frame.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said it was “quite likely” Democrats could be moving CRA proposals related to affordability and that the effort could “start quite soon.”
Up first as soon as Wednesday, the Senate will be taking up a resolution that would reverse a Trump administration guidance making it harder for companies to access clean energy tax credits.
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who introduced the legislation earlier this year with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Finance ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), said it would undo Republican policies that amount to “nothing but a blatant attempt to disqualify projects needed to build out our nation’s clean energy infrastructure.”
Republicans phased out renewable energy credits in their One Big Beautiful Bill Act but didn’t scrap them right away. So conservatives pushed the administration to crack down through rulemaking.
It’s unclear whether the resolution will get any Republican support. Several moderate GOP senators, like Sen. John Curtis of Utah, worked to ease the credits’ phase-out.
The CRA allows lawmakers and the White House to overturn administration rules and other actions by simple majority under certain conditions. President Donald Trump has signed more than 20 resolutions of disapproval since he started his second term.
Senate Environment and Public Works ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) has been a leader in filing CRA resolutions against Trump administration actions. So far, Democratic proposals have failed to advance.
Schumer is scheduled to speak about rising energy prices during an event Wednesday night. He has promised to release a plan to address energy affordability concerns.
“Electric prices, power prices are going way up,” Schumer told reporters Tuesday. “And it’s because of what Trump and the Republicans have done.”
