Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”: A Massive Step Backward on Climate, Economy, and Science

By Laura Mc Leod

Let's dive into today’s most pressing issue: President Trump’s "Big Beautiful Bill"—a sweeping piece of legislation packed with the President's top policy priorities. After contentious negotiations, the House recently passed it, but its true impact goes far beyond the political headlines. This bill doesn’t just shift policy—it reshapes the country’s economic and environmental foundations.

So, what exactly does this bill do? Let’s unpack it.

A Budget with Consequences

At its core, this legislation extends Trump-era tax cuts, increases funding for border security, deportation, and defense, slashes Medicaid spending through work requirements, and raises the national debt ceiling by $4 trillion. But perhaps the most troubling aspect of the bill is what it does—or rather, undoes—in terms of climate and environmental policy.

It aims to gut the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—the most significant climate legislation in U.S. history, signed by President Biden in 2022. The IRA wasn’t just about cutting emissions; it invested in a future where green energy, conservation, and resilience weren’t just aspirations but achievable goals. If passed, Trump’s bill would reverse that progress.

Electric Vehicles and Green Energy: Under Attack

One of the IRA’s most visible and popular components, the $7,500 EV tax credit, is on the chopping block. Republicans want to eliminate it, loosen emissions standards for vehicles, and phase out homeowner credits for energy audits, heat pumps, and solar installations. These changes would not only increase pollution but also raise household energy costs by more than $33 billion annually by 2035, according to the nonpartisan think tank Energy Innovation. That’s about $250 more per household, every year.

Rolling back these incentives also puts the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage. Countries like China are already far ahead in electric vehicle development. By undermining green industries now, we risk falling behind in one of the most critical global economic shifts of the 21st century.

Dismantling Support for Innovation

Trump’s bill also targets the Loan Programs Office (LPO) at the Department of Energy—a key driver of innovation. This is the same office that gave Tesla its pivotal $465 million loan in 2010. Eliminating its funding would make it harder for American companies to access the capital they need to develop clean technologies and compete globally.

In other words, this isn’t just an environmental setback. It’s an economic one.

The Courts, the EPA, and the Death of Environmental Review

In other news, on May 29, the Supreme Court ruled that federal agencies can take a more limited view of the environmental impacts of infrastructure projects. This weakens the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which has long required thorough environmental assessments for federally funded projects. The ruling paves the way for more fossil fuel infrastructure with fewer checks on their long-term climate impacts.

Meanwhile, Trump’s EPA is planning to withdraw restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel plants—the second-largest source of climate pollution in the U.S. And executive orders signed in April and May have already moved to exempt older coal plants from pollution rules and expand coal mining on public lands.

The health and environmental consequences of these decisions are staggering, especially for communities already overburdened by pollution and climate risk.

Silencing Science

Perhaps most alarming of all is Trump’s recent executive order establishing a so-called “gold standard science” policy. In reality, this policy does the opposite of upholding scientific integrity. It places political appointees in charge of reviewing, altering, and even disciplining scientists whose findings conflict with the administration’s agenda.

Over 6,000 scientists, academics, and healthcare professionals have signed an open letter warning that this order would undermine scientific independence and turn research into propaganda. It’s not just an attack on climate science—it’s an attack on truth itself.

What comes next?

If the "Big Beautiful Bill" passes the Senate, the Trump administration will have a powerful mandate to dismantle federal programs designed to combat climate change, protect public health, and foster innovation. Many of the changes may happen quietly, buried in bureaucratic decisions that escape mainstream attention. But the impacts—on our environment, our economy, and our democracy—will be anything but invisible.

Let’s Not Be Silent

If you’re as concerned about these developments as I am, now is the time to act. Share this post, talk to your representatives, and stay informed. Follow For Climate Out Loud on social media, drop a comment, and hit subscribe. Every voice matters—and yours could help make the difference.

Until next time—stay engaged, stay hopeful, and stay loud.