On May 22, 2025, the US House of Representatives passed (by a margin of 1 vote), Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Budget Bill”, House Bill 1. This was in keeping with Trump’s and Republican Members of Congress’ promises. Now called Act 1, it would repeal many policies of the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress to accelerate the transition to a cleaner US energy system.
Their proposal would repeal critical investments in clean energy and climate action under the Inflation Reduction Act, harm our farmers, and gut access to Medicaid and affordable healthcare.
Now, the fate of climate action lies in the hands of the Senate. Despite resorting to backroom deals, massive public outcry has put their reconciliation bill in jeopardy. At this watershed moment in budget talks, the time for us to act is now. Make our voice heard today!
What is budget reconciliation? Budget reconciliation is a fast-track process in Congress that allows certain fiscal bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the usual 60-vote threshold. It can only be used for legislation affecting spending, revenues, or the debt limit. Republicans are using reconciliation to push this bill through without needing bipartisan support.
What’s In The Bill?
Massive Blow to Clean Energy & Climate Action
Act 1 would represent a full repeal of the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, which provided the single biggest investment in climate action in modern history. The bill would repeal most tax credits for clean energy generation, energy efficiency, and green transportation. It would also rescind all “unobligated funding” for climate programs under the IRA and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. That includes funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure plan to increase EV charging dramatically in the US, including here in Wisconsin, through the Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (WEVI) program.
Full Breakdown of Provisions:
The Impact:
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- Increase Greenhouse Gas Emission by roughly 0.5 billion metric tons per year in 2030 and more than 1 billion metric tons per year in 2035.
- Increase U.S. household energy costs by roughly $100 to $160 per household per year in 2030, roughly $270 to $415 per household per year in 2035.
- Cut 800k good-paying, blue collar jobs in clean energy production, infrastructure investments, and green manufacturing
- Reduce cumulative capital investment in U.S. electricity and clean fuels production by $1 trillion from 2025-2035
- Devastate domestic manufacturing by jeopardizing 200 proposed new green manufacturing plants representing $522 billion in investments.
- Reduce annual sales of electric vehicles by roughly 40% in 2030 and end America’s battery manufacturing boom.
- Squash New Cutting-Edge Industries like green hydrogen power
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Selling Out Working Families
The House Republican budget proposal would slash critical support programs that help working families across Wisconsin afford food and healthcare. More than 650,000 Wisconsinites (including children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities) rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table. Cutting SNAP would increase hunger in both rural and urban communities, pushing more families into crisis at a time when food costs remain high. The proposal also targets the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which supports over 100,000 low-income women and children in Wisconsin, threatening childhood nutrition and maternal health.
The budget also attacks affordable healthcare. Roughly 225,000 Wisconsinites depend on subsidies from the Affordable Care Act to afford coverage — these tax credits help families, gig workers, and small business owners access life-saving care. Rolling back this support would lead to skyrocketing premiums and force many off their health plans entirely. Rural areas would be hit especially hard, where access to healthcare is already limited. These cuts would reverse the progress we’ve made toward a healthier, more equitable Wisconsin
Where Things Stand In This Process
Act 1 is now in the hands of the US Senate and they expect to have their revisions completed by July. House Leader Mike Johnson wants the Senate to approve Act 1, without changes, as soon as next week. That is unlikely. Several senate republicans have expressed concerns about provisions related to the debt, healthcare, and clean energy.
For example, Senator Ron Johnson argues Act 1 adds too much to the federal deficit. He’s right about that, but his solution is to cut critical investments in clean energy and working families to pay for more tax cuts for the ultra wealthy.
The challenge for us is to tell our US Senators, Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin, why we want to keep funding for clean energy components in the IRA and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These programs benefit citizens, businesses and industries of Wisconsin. And, they are key to continuing the transition to clean energy.
Take Action: Contact Our Senators Now
Write To Your Senators Now!
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- Sen. Tammy Baldwin: (202) 224-5653
- Sen. Ron Johnson: (202) 224-5323