Devastating Harm Caused By Trump Administration

Floor Speech

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Ms. BUDZINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Kaptur for cohosting this Special Order hour alongside me today.

I rise today for my district, for our economy, for our workers, and for our clean energy future. Last year, my district in central and southern Illinois had investments through the Inflation Reduction Act that would have been transformational.

Take the $32 million investment awarded to the Kraft Heinz facility in Champaign. This was the single largest award among the 10 sites approved under the Kraft Heinz $170 million grant from the Department of Energy. These funds would have reduced emissions from this plant by 99 percent. Yet this administration chose to cancel this project, along with countless others, simply because it did not fit their political agenda.

This story isn't unique. Today, you will hear from other Members whose districts received the same frustrating news. It is not just canceling funds to help companies modernize and decarbonize. It is canceling tax credits to help union workers find jobs and to help working people keep the lights on.

The President's so-called big, beautiful bill isn't beautiful. It is a big, ugly joke. The only thing this bill does is hand out tax breaks to billionaires while making it harder for working people to get by.

As we know, the bill canceled tax credits designed to lower people's energy bills, transform our Nation's clean energy economy, and create thousands of good-paying union jobs.

The administration called these investments wasteful spending. I am here to tell you that they are wrong. Good-paying union jobs are not a waste. Building the clean energy infrastructure of tomorrow right here in America is not a waste. Across the country, there were thousands of clean energy projects planned, underway, or just finished that would have benefited from the IRA incentives tied to good labor standards.

To get the full tax credit, these projects needed to meet wage and apprenticeship requirements. This was a huge chance to raise pay and improve job quality for clean energy workers nationwide. Estimates show that without these tax credits, $522 billion in planned clean energy investments are now at risk. More than $263 billion of this is wind, solar, and energy storage facilities, while $110 billion of announced clean energy manufacturing is at risk.

This will have direct implications for Illinois. For our State, eliminating these tax credits means losing 21,000 potential jobs by 2030.

These tax credits are more than just financial incentives. They are lifelines for working families and for working-class communities. Without these tax credits, families' energy bills will go up around $110 next year and over $400 per year in the next 5 years.

Yet, this administration has prioritized tax cuts for billionaires over support for everyday Americans, leaving families struggling to make ends meet in an increasingly difficult economy.

This is not just unfair. It is wrong. If this administration truly cares about working people, now is the time to act. Now is the time to invest in families, create jobs, and invest in a clean energy future.

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