GOP Senators block Trump in surprise move

Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has moved to block three of President Donald Trump’s Treasury Department nominees in protest of rules he says could undercut federal tax credits for wind and solar energy. Knewz.com has learned that the move highlights growing tension between Senator Grassley and President Trump over renewable energy policy, with another Republican senator joining Grassley in protest.

GOP senators block Trump’s Treasury Department nominees

Senator Grassley announced he would temporarily block Trump’s nominations for the Treasury Department’s general counsel, assistant secretary and undersecretary. He cited concerns over the administration’s intent to begin phasing out wind and solar tax credits. “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 in a statement. Senator John Curtis, R-Utah, joined Grassley’s effort, placing his own hold on the same three nominees.

The dispute over renewable energy

Senators Grassley and Curtis’ actions have complicated Trump’s effort to fill critical Treasury positions, as holds can stall nominations indefinitely unless lifted or overridden. The dispute came as the Trump administration signaled a broader rollback of subsidies for renewable energy, reflecting its emphasis on traditional fossil fuels. The move has sparked resistance from lawmakers in states that benefit from wind and solar projects, who argue that tax credits remain essential to sustaining energy diversification.

Clash over the Senate’s ‘blue slip’ rule

The nomination fight is unfolding against a backdrop of a separate battle between Trump and Grassley over the Senate’s “blue slip” tradition. The custom allows senators to effectively veto district court and U.S. attorney nominees from their home states. President Trump recently urged Grassley to “have the courage” to end the “blue slip” tradition in the Senate. The president alleged that the practice was “probably unconstitutional,” and said 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… Democrats like Schumer, Warner, Kaine, Booker, Schiff, and others, SLEAZEBAGS ALL, have an ironclad stoppage of Great Republican Candidates,” Trump recently wrote in a lengthy post on Truth Social.

Senator Grassley responds to Trump’s criticism

Grassley, who has served in the Senate since 1981, rejected Trump’s remarks and defended the importance of the Senate tradition. He said that the president’s personal attacks were unwarranted and misrepresented the public’s concerns. “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,” the senator said. “I was offended by what the president said, and I’m disappointed that it would result in personal insults.”

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