Democrats face 60-vote hurdle as they aim to reverse energy policy
The new majority lacks the votes to override presidential vetoes, forcing reliance on a small number of Republicans to pass climate legislation.
By Mia Bennett ·
President Donald Trump indicated on Tuesday that he intends to use his veto power aggressively against Democratic energy bills, creating an immediate obstacle for the new congressional majority. Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in last week's midterms, giving them the ability to set the legislative agenda starting in January. However, they do not have the supermajority needed to override a presidential veto. This means any major clean energy legislation requires at least ten Republican votes to pass.
The Republican administration has spent the last two years reversing climate policies. The Environmental Protection Agency lowered pollution limits, and the White House canceled numerous clean energy grants. Permitting for renewable projects slowed down. Trump has specifically opposed offshore wind, though developer Orsted announced Thursday that the Revolution Wind farm off Rhode Island began commercial operations. Despite these moves, gasoline, diesel, and electricity prices rose during his tenure, partly due to the conflict with Iran.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, stated that Democrats will work to lower consumer energy costs. He said the party will demand accountability for what he called the corruption wrought by fossil fuel donors. Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, said industry leaders feel bolstered by the election results. Lisa Sachs, director of the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, noted that Democrats now have more leverage over spending but must use that power effectively to deliver affordability.
Trump told Fox News that he expects Democrats to send over legislation that is insane and that he will veto it. He predicted that after a few months of vetoes, the two sides will find ways to work together. The White House issued a statement on Wednesday saying Trump is committed to reliable and secure energy sources and is willing to work with anyone to lower prices. Mike Sommers, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, said in a statement that there is a real opportunity for bipartisan cooperation on energy permitting reform.
Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois said he is cautiously optimistic that some Republicans will back pro-environmental policies to distance themselves from Trump. However, he added that without Republican support, many ambitious bills will serve mainly as a policy blueprint for 2028. David Victor, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, expects a federal stalemate on climate policy. He said Democratic investigations will likely focus on corruption, and many bills will not become law. He described the next two years as a recipe for intense chaos at the federal level.
State legislatures may move faster than Congress. Democrats won governor races in Texas and Georgia, states that Republicans had long controlled. Leah Stokes, a political scientist at UC Santa Barbara, expects significant state action on climate next year. Jay Inslee, a former governor from Washington, said state-level progress will allow the U.S. to rejoin the global leadership on clean energy even if federal gridlock persists.
The next major step is the convening of the new Congress in January. Democrats plan to begin investigations into the administration's climate rollbacks immediately. They aim to restore renewable energy incentives and amend the Clean Air Act to cut carbon pollution. Success depends on securing the ten additional Republican votes required to pass any bill that Trump does not sign.
