Congress has now passed a sweeping reconciliation bill that would gut key clean energy investments and undo hard-fought climate progress, and leaders from across the America Is All In coalition are speaking out. From governors and mayors to business leaders to public health experts, these leaders warn that the bill threatens to derail job creation, stall clean manufacturing momentum, and raise energy costs for American families. In the face of this backwards and damaging budget bill, voices from across the coalition are united in calling for continued investment in the affordable, reliable, and job-creating clean energy future the country has already begun to build. Below, we share their voices.

America Is All In Co-Chairs, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb, and Gina McCarthy, the first White House National Climate Advisor and former EPA Administrator

“Congress is taking a hammer to American ingenuity and our economy, killing jobs, and harming our health and wellbeing. With deliberate policies that raise energy costs, Congress is turning its back on American workers and businesses who work tirelessly to deliver good-paying jobs, lower energy bills, and lead the global clean energy race. Republican Senators are fully denying the reality that clean energy is good for working people, businesses, and the strength and security of our economy.

“As temperatures hit record highs and energy demand projections surge 35-50% by 2040, we need more affordable, reliable, and clean energy quickly. State and local leaders will keep working for the American people, not special interests, by doubling down on efforts to fix our country’s affordability crisis, create clean, abundant energy and good-paying jobs, and cut toxic pollution poisoning our communities. We are not burying our heads in the sand and remain committed to building a clean energy economy that works for everyone.”

Climate Mayors leadership including Chair and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Vice Chair and Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, and Vice Chair and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens

“Today, Congress betrayed its promise to the hardworking people of this country by passing a bill that guts clean energy tax credits, raising costs for families and businesses at a time when more than half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Creating more affordable cities that don’t price out the people who built them means investing in the tools and programs that we know lower costs - and that includes clean energy. We have seen firsthand these tax credits have made energy more reliable, more affordable, and more abundant; it has revived American manufacturing and created tens of thousands of good-paying jobs right here in our cities. By gutting clean energy tax credits, Congress is threatening to take us backwards instead of looking towards our future. As portions of our country suffer through yet another record-breaking and dangerous heat-wave, we will not let our cities be pawns of special interests. We will keep fighting the cost of living crisis that has been exacerbated by climate change.

“As mayors, we have the power and the authority to keep pushing forward on the programs and policies that will create more affordable, more prosperous, and healthier cities. Climate Mayors stand ready and able to partner with other state, local, and business leaders to unleash abundant, affordable, and clean energy, create more good-paying jobs, and build healthier, safer, and more prosperous cities nationwide.”

Co-chairs of the U.S. Climate Alliance, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers

“This bill is a senseless, shameless attack on our future and the very industries and jobs we need to succeed. It makes our country less affordable, less energy independent, less competitive, and less secure at a time when climate impacts are spreading, energy demand is soaring, and costs are already too high. We refuse to follow Congress off this cliff. The America we know embraces new technologies, cleaner air and energy, lower costs, and better health — and that’s exactly what the Alliance’s governors will keep fighting for.”  

Zach Friedman, senior director of federal policy, Ceres

"By raising taxes on energy producers and users, this legislation puts the U.S. at severe risk of ceding its leadership in the 21st century’s most important industries to China and other countries. It will lead to fewer manufacturing jobs, higher electricity bills for American families and businesses, and weakened global competitiveness.

“It is deeply disappointing to see Congress step away from proven, bipartisan policy solutions that are critical to meeting our widely shared goals of energy dominance, job creation, lower energy prices, and global competitiveness. That said, this version is an improvement over prior House and Senate proposals, with notable improvements over the text released by the Senate late last week.  

Ceres is deeply appreciative of the many private-sector leaders, energy producers, innovators, and manufacturers who have worked hard to keep these pro-growth incentives as strong as possible. We also thank key Senators who fought for the improvements and championed amendments to restore the incentives that are vital to reducing energy costs and strengthening manufacturing and domestic supply chains for industries from wind and solar to HVAC, vehicle, battery, minerals, and steel. The improvements included in the legislation prove the strength of the business case for a stable policy environment that unleashes private investment in advanced manufacturing and affordable, reliable, homegrown clean energy. We urge the private sector to maximize the tax credits while they remain available.  

Ceres remains committed to working with leading U.S. companies and investors to advance policies in this and future Congresses that invest in America—by restoring tax credits, aligning U.S. trade and infrastructure policy with clean economy advancements, and making it easier to build affordable and reliable homegrown clean energy infrastructure.” 

Lisa Jacobson, President of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) and Lynn Abramson, President of the Clean Energy Business Network (CEBN)

“Compared to earlier proposals, the final legislation provides a more workable transition for some energy businesses currently utilizing federal energy tax credits. However, it imposes many rapid changes to various energy credits that will cause uncertainty and increase energy costs. These provisions include consumer credits for energy efficiency and clean energy that help lower energy costs for families and businesses, make the grid more resilient, protect good American jobs, and provide certainty for vital investments in the energy sector.

“As our country faces skyrocketing energy demand, we need every electron from a broad portfolio of energy sources to keep the lights on for homes and businesses,” Jacobson added. “Instead of encouraging industry growth, this legislation holds American energy businesses back. As we move forward, the data is clear: deployment of a broad portfolio of energy efficiency and clean energy technologies is hard-wired into the U.S. economy. Our coalition will continue to advocate for policies that support a diverse set of energy options in the United States and ensure access to affordable, secure, reliable, and clean energy solutions.”

“We are grateful to the many bipartisan champions who rallied to defend the energy tax credits as the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ proceeded through consideration these past few months. While their efforts prevented an even more detrimental outcome, taken as a whole, this bill will be a major step backwards on energy security, prices, and jobs in communities across the country.

“The final legislation leaves some energy industries relatively unscathed, but rapidly eliminates credits for efficiency, residential solar, and electric vehicles with no room for businesses to pivot – and abruptly phases out wind and solar at a time of rising energy demand. We appreciate one particularly bright spot: the full and permanent restoration of the R&D tax deduction with retroactive tax relief for small businesses."

Gary Cohen, co-founder and president of Health Care Without Harm  

“Health Care Without Harm is deeply alarmed that the U.S. Senate has passed its version of the budget reconciliation bill – reckless legislation that will go down as the most destructive environmental and health bill in U.S. history. This short-sighted policy rolls back important clean energy tax credits, which have already saved hospitals and health systems $154 million over the past two years.

The Senate bill undermines sustainability efforts across the health sector precisely when we need them most. Health Care Without Harm’s analysis shows 91 hospital and health care projects across 34 states are currently using or were planning to use these energy tax credits. Without them, many of these projects face cancellation –  threatening the financial viability of projects that could deliver similar savings nationwide. For rural hospitals already operating on reduced budgets, these cuts could mean the difference between keeping doors open or permanent closure – leaving entire communities without access to critical care.

By stripping support for clean, American-made energy, this bill will make the energy grid less reliable, impacting health care facilities' ability to operate and provide care, just as extreme weather is also increasing in frequency and severity, with 100 million Americans currently under an extreme heat threat. It will harm our air and water and put our health at risk through higher local air pollution, and will contribute to hundreds of premature deaths and more cases of asthma and cancer, particularly among children and seniors, and in low-income communities, communities of color, and other marginalized communities that are disproportionately impacted. These health impacts will be exacerbated by cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act as more than 17 million people lose their health care coverage. This will increase uncompensated care, lead rural hospitals to close, destabilize our nation’s health care system, and increase health care costs for all. We urge the U.S. House of Representatives to reject this incredibly harmful bill.

"Our health and our ability to thrive – as individuals, families, communities, and as a country – is in danger because of the increasing instability of our climate. More than any other industry, health care is seeing the impacts of this crisis on public health. While this bill represents a dangerous step backward, our commitment to environmental health extends far beyond any single piece of legislation. We remain dedicated to mobilizing health care climate action locally, nationally, and globally. We will continue scaling health sector emissions reduction solutions, expanding health care's leadership in building climate-resilient communities, and working to restore the critical infrastructure this legislation seeks to dismantle."

Second Nature

"Yesterday, the Senate decided to make it much more difficult for America to continue its leading role in driving innovative energy solutions, and for higher education institutions to both implement and benefit from the policies that encouraged this innovation.

Higher education has been at the vanguard of shaping new solutions through its research and discovery, serving as the foundation for new industries to form, new jobs to be created, and new workforces to emerge. While the energy sector is just one area where our sector leads these transitions, it is a critical one that many of our community members benefit from. This recent Senate action stifles our sector’s ability to serve this key societal need.  

Additionally, the higher education sector has had a long-standing commitment to practice what it teaches, putting energy solutions in the ground as part of campus operations that allow for living and learning labs to train our country’s students in the latest technologies and emergent industries. The clean energy tax credits and provisions for higher education institutions to directly benefit from these credits have catalyzed hundreds of projects at colleges and universities across the country, resulting in investments and jobs in their local communities, from Athens, Ohio, to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Second Nature leads a network of over 400 higher education institutions, and we steadfastly stand with the organizations and coalitions that are urging House members to respond to the Senate’s action with smarter energy policies that will benefit all sectors in the economy."

Dr. David Widawsky, Director, WRI US

“H.R.1. will undercut the Administration’s stated goal of ‘unleashing American energy’ and sends a chilling signal to families, businesses and investors alike. Abruptly phasing out clean energy tax credits will raise costs, slow innovation and jeopardize America’s energy security.

“Electricity demand is growing everywhere—and growing fast. The clean energy cuts in this bill will increase costs and constrain supply at a time when demand for electricity is surging. Working families, business owners and local governments will bear the brunt through higher electricity bills, fewer jobs, and reduced energy resilience to extreme weather. Billions of dollars of investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, energy savings will be lost; failure to keep pace with growing energy demand will make brownouts and blackouts more likely; air will become less breathable; and American economic growth will be at risk. 

“Fossil fuels alone won’t meet the skyrocketing energy demand from manufacturing, AI, electrification, and increasingly frequent and intense heat waves that prompt more AC usage. But America can create a more flexible, agile, and resilient power system with renewables and grid upgrades. Clean energy sources are better positioned to come online quickly to meet growing electricity needs and spur economic growth. That’s exactly what companies, state and local governments, utilities and families have been counting on, planning for and investing in. 

“Many Americans remain committed to a clean energy future—and we expect to see progress from the cities, states and businesses that have become labs for innovation in recent years. While this bill throws up many roadblocks to progress, these innovators can and must continue driving the country’s energy economy forward. Opportunities remain for them to do so through coalition building, providing innovative financing and policy solutions, and facilitating infrastructure development for critical projects that serve their communities.

"We simply can’t afford to double down on outdated energy sources and policies. Despite this setback, we are not going to give up the race for the secure, affordable and innovative power system that Americans need – and deserve.”