House Republicans are making new moves to ensure a slew of clean energy tax credits benefitting red districts and states around the country are preserved in a final party-line package.
House Conservative Climate Caucus Chair Mariannette Miller-Meeks met earlier this week with House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) to underscore the importance of leaving intact many of those tax credits created by the Democrats’ 2022 climate law, the Iowa Republican said in an interview.
It went “very well,” said Miller-Meeks, adding that she told Smith to “thread the needle” in his approach to evaluating which tax credits to keep and scrap.
Anthony Cruz, a spokesperson for Miller-Meeks, said later in a statement that the lawmaker "appreciated Chairman Smith’s time and consideration of these important job-creating credits.
"It was a good meeting and he was receptive to our advocacy for these energy credits, which benefit Iowa and are aligned with President Trump’s push for American energy dominance and independence," Cruz continued. "We know the Chairman has a very difficult needle to thread as we ... navigate our Conference’s diverse views. We look forward to continuing our dialogue in the near future.”
Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), who has helped lead the charge among House Republicans to protect the credits, said he was pursuing his own meeting with the House’s top tax writer, too.
“There’s absolutely more than 21,” he said in an interview of colleagues who want to keep at least parts of the climate law. “Now, it’s worth starting discussing with the committee what thoughts they have and what thoughts we have, and so we’re looking forward to that initial meeting.”
Smith’s committee would be responsible for finding massive savings for the package of tax cuts, beefed up border security, energy policy and more. Conservative hard-liners are agitating for spending cuts to be found in gutting Biden-era programs to incentive wind, solar and carbon-reduction business endeavors.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misspelled Mariannette Miller-Meeks' name.
