The resolution thumbed down by Biden had passed both the House and Senate, and would have reversed a Commerce Department decision to waive tariffs on solar panels imported from Southeast Asian countries for two years. Biden explained the tariff waiver was necessary to establish a “bridge” for continued solar deployment as US manufacturing ramps up to meet the increasing demand for the clean energy technology. “Passage of this resolution bets against American innovation,” Biden said in a statement. “It would undermine these efforts and create deep uncertainty for American businesses and workers in the solar industry.”
Less than 30 percent of the solar panels and cells installed in the U.S. are made in the country, though domestically-produced solar content is rising as U.S. manufacturers take advantage of the manufacturing tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act. A two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate would be needed to override the President’s veto. (CNN, The Hill, Reuters, AP, Fox News, Washington Post $, New York Times $)