A pair of establishment Republicans are now openly defying President Donald Trump’s America First energy agenda, holding up critical nominees to protect billions of dollars in green energy subsidies.
Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and John Curtis (R-UT) are actively blocking the confirmation of three Trump nominees to top positions in the Treasury Department. Their reason: they want guarantees that the administration won’t move too swiftly to end subsidies for solar and wind power projects, despite clear directives in Trump’s recently signed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
This bill, a cornerstone of Trump’s second-term agenda, significantly phases out expensive green energy tax credits, redirecting funds toward energy independence and grid reliability. But Grassley and Curtis, both longtime supporters of wind and solar subsidies, are openly resisting Trump’s vision, demanding the administration uphold what they call “congressional intent”—a softer, slower rollback of green subsidies.
Grassley, who was instrumental in creating wind energy subsidies in the first place, openly declared his opposition by placing holds on Trump’s nominees for Treasury: Jonathan McKernan, Francis Brooke, and Brian Morrissey. In remarks submitted to the congressional record, Grassley stated he would block confirmations until he was assured the administration adhered strictly to the more gradual subsidy phaseout.
“Until I can be certain that such rules and regulations adhere to the law and congressional intent, I intend to continue to object to these Treasury nominees,” Grassley said defiantly.
Curtis, while quieter publicly, shares similar concerns. Sources close to Curtis confirmed he’s pushing back against any accelerated removal of subsidies, preferring to continue the slow drain of taxpayer dollars into costly solar and wind projects. He argues that developers need more “investment certainty,” essentially protecting their access to taxpayer-funded subsidies.
Both senators were instrumental in last-minute negotiations that watered down Trump’s initial proposal, inserting a generous one-year window allowing developers to keep full subsidies for years if they only spend minimal amounts upfront.
However, Trump quickly responded to this establishment meddling by issuing a bold executive order shortly after signing the bill. His order directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to aggressively enforce an immediate subsidy phaseout, effectively tightening the rules to ensure taxpayers stop subsidizing green energy faster than Grassley and Curtis anticipated.
Grassley openly opposed Trump’s order, declaring that Treasury’s interpretation of construction deadlines was already clear and should not change. Grassley insists any new guidelines must strictly match existing policy, effectively resisting Trump’s attempt to expedite the phaseout.
Trump and conservative Republicans have consistently warned that these subsidies undermine America’s energy independence and hand economic advantages to China, which dominates the supply chains for solar panels and wind turbines. Yet, Grassley and Curtis seem committed to keeping taxpayer-funded handouts flowing to projects criticized as unreliable and economically unfeasible.
Senate Democrats, already united in obstructing Trump’s nominees at every turn, now have unexpected allies within Republican ranks. Grassley and Curtis’s opposition forces Majority Leader John Thune to use precious Senate floor time to individually confirm each nominee, slowing down Trump’s broader America First economic agenda.
Grassley and Curtis’s resistance represents a critical test for the Republican Party. Conservatives nationwide strongly support Trump’s vision to end wasteful subsidies and protect America’s energy future. But establishment senators clearly remain more committed to protecting their favored special interests than delivering on the mandate voters gave President Trump.
With Grassley and Curtis actively stalling Trump’s agenda, conservatives now have a choice to make: will they stand with Trump and American taxpayers, or allow the establishment GOP to sabotage another chance at real reform?
President Trump’s push to end these costly, unreliable subsidies remains overwhelmingly popular with conservative voters. This political clash signals clearly that Trump’s battle against establishment politics is far from over, and conservative grassroots activists nationwide stand ready to hold obstructionist Republicans accountable for their betrayal.