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Why the Debt Ceiling Debate Is Also a Climate Fight

Inside Climate News · By Kristoffer Tigue · last updated

As Congress fights over the nation’s ability to borrow money, Republicans have made clean energy tax credits a key target in their efforts to slash federal spending.

By Kristoffer Tigue

Congress is once again fighting over the nation’s debt ceiling, the legal limit on how much the United States can borrow. It’s a highly politicized battle that has threatened to paralyze the federal government almost every year for the past decade, with potentially significant long-term consequences for the U.S. economy. Now Republicans want to use it to repeal President Joe Biden’s climate agenda.

Related Knowledge Center: Climate legislation

State of Play

The federal government and states are in the process of implementing two laws — the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act — an investment of more than a trillion dollars to address climate change.

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