Biden pushes clean energy tax credits amid stalled spending agenda

President Biden on Tuesday continued to push for tax credits for clean energy and electric vehicles, key climate components of his stalled Build Back Better bill. 

“Let’s provide investments and tax credits to weatherize your homes and businesses to be energy efficient and get a tax credit for it; double America’s clean energy production in solar, wind and so much more;  lower the price of electric vehicles, saving another $80 a month that you’re not going to have to pay at the pump,” Biden said while delivering his first State of the Union address. 

He sought to frame the push as cutting costs for consumers, saying it would “cut energy costs for families an average of $500 a year.” He also said it would be part of his plan to fight inflation. 

Lawmakers spent months debating Biden’s climate and social spending bill, which Democrats needed every member of their caucus in the Senate to support. 

Swing-vote Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) late last year said he didn’t support it, throwing the entire package into doubt. In the weeks since, Manchin has reiterated that he does not support the package, citing inflation concerns.

However, Manchin has expressed some support for the clean energy tax components. 

While the clean energy tax credits are considered to be a cornerstone of the package’s climate components, the version passed by the House also contained other measures not mentioned by Biden that would combat climate change.