Latest news with #JenKiggans
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Navy reservist announces campaign to unseat Rep. Jen Kiggans
With congressional midterms still more than a year away, Democrat James Osyf is the latest candidate to announce intentions to challenge Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. Osef, a first-generation Ukrainian American and a Navy reservist who served on the USS Norfolk submarine, announced his candidacy Thursday. 'I think running for Congress, at least for me, boils down to one fundamental, and that's really to help Virginia's veteran and working class families who are being left behind,' said Osyf, a 40-year-old who works at Lockheed Martin as a defense innovation executive. Kiggans has represented the district, which encompasses part of Hampton Roads including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk, since 2022. The midterm elections are in 2026. Osyf, who lives in Virginia Beach, said he was driven to run in part because of the recent passage of President Donald Trump's domestic policy spending bill. 'I think what we're facing right now is what you just saw evidenced by the passage of the 'big, beautiful bill,'' he said in an interview. 'I think that the hypocrisy and the dissonance that is on display, by this administration's priorities and this enabling Congress, is what needs to be tackled, and the only way to do that is to elect a new generation of Democrats that are going to be able to engineer government to work and to deliver for the American people.' Osyf took aim at Kiggans, who voted last week in support of the bill. 'Jen Kiggans has abandoned her post, voting last week to rip healthcare away from millions, stop children from receiving SNAP benefits they depend on, and give a tax break to the mega donors who funder her campaign,' he said in a statement. At the time, Kiggans, who also served in the Navy, acknowledged concerns about cuts to Medicaid and clean energy candidates, but said the bill would deliver for the people she represents and voted for its passage. Osyf is the latest candidate to jump into the race. Nicolaus Sleister, of Suffolk, has also filed paperwork to run as a Democrat for the nomination, as has Virginia Beach resident Burk Stringfellow. Both candidates have also taken aim at Kiggans over her ultimate vote in favor of the bill. 'This bill is not beautiful. It is brutal,' said Sleister in a statement issued this week. 'Thousands of military families across Virginia Beach, Suffolk, and the Eastern Shore will see their SNAP and Medicaid benefits gutted. And Rep. Jen Kiggans voted yes — again siding with party insiders instead of the people she was elected to serve.' Stringfellow, who describes himself as more of an activist than a politician, maintains a section on his website entitled 'Jen Kiggans Must Go' with references to her voting record, including on the 'big, beautiful bill.' Kiggans is seeking reelection and is the only Republican running so far. The Virginia Public Access Project describes the district as leaning Republican, but Democrats nationally are eyeing it as competitive. 'This Big, Ugly Bill is a laundry list of Republicans' betrayal to the American people,' said Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. 'The DCCC will make sure every battleground voter knows how vulnerable House Republicans — including Kiggans and (Rep. Rob) Wittman — abandoned them by passing the most unpopular piece of legislation in modern American history, and we're going to take back the House majority because of it.' Kate Seltzer, (757)713-7881
Axios
07-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Clean energy's political test looms now that Trump bill is law
The 2026 midterms will test clean energy's uncertain political salience as advocates attempt to tether it to economic matters that voters prioritize. Why it matters: Both chambers of Congress are narrowly divided and up for grabs next year. The big picture: Democratic and green group campaigns will argue the GOP's "big beautiful bill" that President Trump signed Friday will raise costs and cut jobs. It will be an effort to flip the script on the inflation emphasis and promises of lower costs that were a foundation of the GOP's 2024 message. State of play: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's early list of targeted districts overlaps heavily with 13 House Republicans who voted for their chamber's plan but urged the Senate to soften it. They include competitive seats held by Republicans like Jen Kiggans (Va.), Gabe Evans (Colo.) and Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.). "Despite falsely proclaiming their concerns, House Republicans — including some of their most vulnerable members — knowingly voted to cut jobs, slash investments, and raise energy costs in their districts when they voted for the Big, Ugly Bill," DCCC spokeswoman Courtney Rice tells Axios. The other side: While several polls show the bill is unpopular, Republicans will look to play political offense — especially emphasizing tax cuts and border security measures. Republicans plan to message their legislative victory by branding Democrats' opposition as voting to raise taxes on small businesses and American families, according to an internal memo from the GOP's House campaign's arm shared with Axios' Kate Santaliz. Friction point: Look for Dems and allied groups to cite recent analyses on two topics — IRA and infrastructure law investments and jobs flowing heavily to red states and districts, and potential for higher utility bills when incentives go away. Reality check: The political relevance of low-carbon energy is unclear at best. Democrats lost the House in 2022, shortly after the IRA's passage. Nor did emphasizing clean energy investments stop them from losing the Senate or White House last year, despite messaging on jobs and costs. I'm not saying the IRA is why they lost, but there are plenty of reasons to question its political potency, and more broadly whether voters will prioritize clean tech. As our colleague Hans Nichols notes, the election cycle is still early, and other potential events — such as war or recession — can always make the current issue set look small. Yes, but: This time around, candidates can point more easily to the risk of investments in specific states and districts. Some projects are already getting canceled as Trump officials pull back funding under the IRA and 2021 infrastructure law. What's next: League of Conservation Voters President Pete Maysmith tells Axios that votes on the bill will play a "very significant role" in their midterm election work — and gave a taste of messages to come. "The Republican Congress just broke their promise to the American people and to voters, and that was to cut costs, and instead, what they've done is jack up costs, starting with people's utility bills, but not stopping there, including health care, groceries and a myriad of other things," he said in an interview. LCV is an important player — the group spent $44 million combined on House and Senate races in the 2024 cycle.
Bloomberg
18-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Republican Who Flip-Flopped on Energy Credits Risks Voters' Ire
In the weeks before the House of Representative's vote to gut clean energy tax credits in President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill, Virginia Congresswoman Jen Kiggans cast herself as the leading Republican champion of renewables. Yet in the end, she cast the deciding vote in favor of the bill despite its blow to wind and solar. Now the swift elimination of those subsidies, a rollback that also remains in the Senate version of the legislation, put Kiggans at odds with many in her district — already among the most competitive in the nation — as Democrats seize any opening to take Republicans' House narrow majority next year.
E&E News
09-06-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Senate enters pivotal week on reconciliation
The fight over hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy tax credits has intensified in recent days as Republicans stare down a self-imposed July 4 deadline for approving their party-line budget reconciliation package. The Senate is looking to finish reworking the House-passed 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' by the end of this week, though discussion on tax measures could go into next week. The fate of language on public land sales, regulations and electric vehicle fees is also in play. On Friday, a band of 13 House Republicans launched their latest salvo in the war over the fate of energy credits tied to the Democrats' 2022 climate law. Led by Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), the lawmakers urged Senate leaders to 'substantially and strategically' fix the language that passed the House, which would dramatically roll back incentives for wind, solar, hydrogen and other sources. Advertisement 'We believe the Senate now has a critical opportunity to restore common sense and deliver a truly pro-energy growth final bill that protects taxpayers while also unleashing the potential of U.S. energy producers, manufacturers, and workers,' the letter said. There are enough Senate Republicans keen on changing the House language to make a difference. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told POLITICO 'every one of [the credits] is going to have some sort of extension' compared to the House package. He has also said the House supply chain requirements are 'void of any understanding of just how these supply chains work.' Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she's trying to ensure more reasonable timelines that treat different energy sources the same. And Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito ( said a provision requiring projects to start construction within 60 days of the law's enactment is unfeasible for her state's hydrogen development hub. 'It's problematic for us, and it would be a lot of jobs and a lot of 'energy of the future' types of opportunities for our state,' Capito said last Thursday. 'So I'm trying to work with other folks who have difficulties with this.' Conservatives are fighting back. The group Club for Growth has been taking out ads against some Senate Republicans, including Murkowski, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Jerry Moran of Kansas. The far-right House Freedom Caucus was quick to respond Friday against the new letter by saying it would not accept more lenient treatment of the climate law credits. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), one of the caucus' most vocal members, also issued a warning. 'You backslide one inch on those [Inflation Reduction Act] subsidies, and I'm voting against this bill,' Roy said, knowing House leaders can only afford to lose a handful of members. Beyond taxes The Environment and Public Works Committee was one of the first Senate panels to release reworked text last week. Its bill includes cuts to climate spending and proposals to accelerate permitting reviews. The Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's bill targets Biden-era vehicle efficiency standards. It would also claw back money for NOAA programs. And the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee's offering, released Friday, would rescind approved spending on climate law green housing programs. Missing so far are House provisions to charge electric and hybrid vehicle drivers new fees. Capito has said the parliamentarian will decide whether they follow the rules for budget reconciliation, which allows certain budget bills to bypass the Senate filibuster. Senators are also eyeing rulings from the parliamentarian on a host of permitting policies, which would ease approvals for companies that pay certain fees. Democrats have them 'pay to play' provisions. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) is involved in several issues in his party's budget reconciliation package. | Francis Chung/POLITICO Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah), who has been working on securing permitting and drilling mandates, is also working with the parliamentarian to secure the fate of rule-busting legislation. It would give Congress a say over certain rules. 'There's been some back-and-forth with the parliamentarian, and we're still working on it,' Lee said. 'I am confident in the merits of the argument and in the need for it and in the reasons why it's a good idea to do it and the budgetary-ness of it.' Lee is similarly set on including some language to ease the sale of public lands. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) said last week he's working with Lee to keep the sales out or to a minimum. Reporters Nico Portuondo, Amelia Davidson, Garrett Downs and Joshua Siegel contributed.
Mint
07-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
13 Republican lawmakers who supported Donald Trump's mega bill flip after Elon Musk's allegations
At least 13 House Republicans are now asking Senate leaders to improve provisions of the clean energy tax credit in Donald Trump's domestic policy mega-bill 'substantially and strategically', after it got passed by the House last month. The lawmakers, led by Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), said they were 'deeply concerned by several provisions' that may phase down incentives aggressively from the 2022 climate law of the Democrats and introduce new supply chain requirements, as per a report by Politico. Such provisions could jeopardise thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investments, companies and trade groups have warned. The lawmakers, including Kiggans and Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Juan Ciscomani of Arizona and Andrew Garbarino of New York among others, sent Senators a letter. 'We believe the Senate now has a critical opportunity to restore common sense and deliver a truly pro-energy growth final bill that protects taxpayers while also unleashing the potential of U.S. energy producers, manufacturers, and workers,' they said. Senate negotiators are at the moment working on framing the GOP's tax cut, energy and border spending budget package, after the bill passed at the House. Most lawmakers who wrote the letter supported the bill despite the dispute on tax credit. The letter calls for a change in the provision that would cancel tax breaks for projects that have not started within 60 days of the bill's implementation. 'Since January, over $14 billion in energy projects have been cancelled or delayed, with $4.5 billion scrapped in April alone,' the House Republicans said in the letter. 'Without a clear signal from Congress encouraging continued investments and offering business certainty as these provisions are phased out, project cancellations will continue to snowball,' House lawmakers wrote in the letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo. Elon Musk blasted President Donald Trump's'big, beautiful bill" of tax breaks and spending cuts as a 'disgusting abomination" on Tuesday. 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore,' Musk posted on X. "This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.' The tech billionaire followed his criticism with a threat aimed at Republicans. 'In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,' he wrote in another X post.
