Advocates urge Congressman Griffith to maintain energy jobs for Southwest Virginians
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2025
CONTACT
Dan Radmacher, Media Specialist, (276) 289-1018, dan@appvoices.org
The House of Representatives is making significant progress on their budget reconciliation bill to achieve President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda. House committees have completed their individual markups and the legislation is under consideration in the House Budget Committee today before consideration in the House Rules Committee next week.
Businesses, local governments, and nonprofits from across Appalachia have been making the case to Congress for months to preserve energy tax credits that are powering new economic opportunities across the region. Yet, the legislation currently being considered as the “One, Big Beautiful Bill Act” (previously the “Renewing the American Dream Act”) would gut opportunities for energy independence with cleaner energy, raise electricity bills and risk thousands of jobs, and make significant cuts to medical care and nutrition benefits.
“Congress’s current reconciliation bill is a misguided attempt to reverse American energy innovation,” said Appalachian Voices’ Director of Government Affairs and Strategy Chelsea Barnes. “Congressman Griffith was a strong ally of his constituents in Southwest Virginia when we were fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s dirty deal, and he has real power as a member of the House Rules Committee to make a deal for Appalachians. The energy tax credits that would be cut under this bill have been used to save millions of dollars for schools in his district — including Lee County and Wise County schools — and create new manufacturing and energy jobs for his constituents. We hope he considers the thousands of energy jobs we could lose when he offers amendments to the legislation in committee next week.”
