Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is placing a hold on three of President Donald Trump’s nominees for the Treasury Department in protest against incoming rules that could limit tax credits for wind and solar energy.
Grassley announced the move on Friday, saying he would temporarily block Trump’s nominations for the department’s general counsel, assistant secretary and undersecretary.
The senator noted that the Trump administration is planning to begin phasing out wind and solar tax credits as early as August 18.
“Until I can be certain that such rules and regulations adhere to the law and congressional intent, I intend to continue to object to the consideration of these Treasury nominees,” Grassley said.
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Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, joined Grassley’s effort and announced a hold on the same three nominees, according to Politico.
The move comes amid a larger spat between Grassley and Trump over the Senate’s traditional “blue slip” rule, which allows Senators to effectively veto district court and U.S. attorney nominees for their home states.
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Trump late Tuesday night demanded that Grassley “have the courage” to end the “blue slip” tradition in the Senate.
He charged that the practice was “probably unconstitutional,” and lamented that a president would “never be permitted to appoint the person of his choice” because of it.
“Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. Senate when he was down, by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa, could solve the ‘Blue Slip’ problem we are having with respect to the appointment of Highly Qualified Judges and U.S. Attorneys, with a mere flick of the pen,” Trump said in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform.
“Democrats like Schumer, Warner, Kaine, Booker, Schiff, and others, SLEAZEBAGS ALL, have an ironclad stoppage of Great Republican Candidates,” he continued.
The 91-year-old Grassley, who has been a member of Congress since 1975 and in the Senate since 1981, handily beat his previous opponent by over 12 points three years ago.
“Now, to people in the Real America — not here in Washington, D.C., an island surrounded by reality — the people in Real America don’t care about what the ‘blue slip’ is, but, in fact, it impacts the district judges who serve their communities and the U.S. Attorneys who ensure law and order is enforced,” Grassley said. “I was offended by what the President said, and I’m disappointed that it would result in personal insults.”
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