The Big Ugly Bill: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How We Fight Back
They’re calling it the "Big Beautiful Bill." We’re calling it what it really is: the Big Ugly Bill, because it’s one of the most dangerous, polluter-friendly, climate-wrecking proposals ever to come out of Congress. And… it’s just plain uglaaay!
Passed in the House by a razor-thin margin, this budget megabill is a sprawling attack on the clean energy economy, public health, environmental justice, and the very idea that communities – not corporations – should control their future. From gutting climate investments to imposing new costs on families who drive electric vehicles or want to make their homes energy efficient, this bill is a giveaway to polluters and the ultra-wealthy at everyone else’s expense.
So, what’s in the Big Ugly Bill?
This bill would:
Repeal clean energy tax credits, raising energy bills for families
Eliminate home energy rebates and impose new registration fees on EV and hybrid drivers
Expand drilling and mining on public lands, including in the Arctic
Slash funding for clean air in schools, pollution monitoring, and climate resilience
Roll back vehicle and methane emissions standards
Create a corporate pay-to-play permitting scheme that fast-tracks polluting projects and blocks communities from challenging them
Gut basic environmental protections while boosting Big Oil’s profits
It even adds new federal taxes on clean transportation while simultaneously handing more subsidies to fossil fuel interests. Meanwhile, solar companies warn the bill could kill over 250,000 clean energy jobs, many in Republican districts, and raise energy costs across the board.
Why This Moment Matters
Republicans are using a process called budget reconciliation to try to fast-track the bill. Reconciliation allows certain budget-related bills to bypass the Senate filibuster and pass with just 51 votes, but it also comes with strict rules. Every provision has to directly affect federal spending or revenue, which means some of the most extreme anti-climate and anti-democracy parts of the bill may not make it through.
This is not a done deal. The bill is now in the Senate, where several Republicans have expressed concerns about its size, speed, and impacts. The Senate has the power to strip harmful provisions, rewrite major sections, or stop the bill entirely. And if they make changes, the House has to vote on it again. That gives us a critical window – (right now!!!) – to shape what happens.
The truth is, clean energy is booming, and that growth is happening most in red states. Solar and battery storage now make up the vast majority of new power projects. But this bill would kneecap that momentum and risk sending billions of dollars, and thousands of good paying jobs, overseas.
We Have Power. Here’s How to Use It.
This bill can still be stopped, or at least made far less harmful. Senators need to hear loud and clear from their constituents. Here are a few messages you can use to speak out:
This bill gives more power to polluters and makes the rest of us pay for it. It slashes clean energy investments while boosting fossil fuel subsidies and pollution permits.
It raises costs for families. From higher electricity bills to new taxes on EVs, working people are footing the bill for corporate giveaways.
It punishes progress. The bill targets the clean energy jobs boom, especially in red states where solar and battery manufacturing is taking off.
It strips away local voices. Its so-called permitting reform fast-tracks polluting projects and blocks communities from speaking up against them.
It’s deeply unpopular. Voters across the political spectrum want clean air, safe water, and affordable energy. This bill does the opposite.
We still have time to stop it. Use your voice, sign the petition, and show up if you’re near DC.
👉 Sign the Petition: Say NO to the Big Ugly Bill
👉 RSVP for the June 3rd DC Day of Action
📍 Day of Action – DC, June 3rd
10:30 AM: Meet at Reformation Church, 212 East Capitol St NE, Washington, DC 20003
12:00 PM: Capitol press conference
Rest of the day: Direct actions targeting key members of Congress
This is a pivotal moment. Let’s throw down and say: No Deal for Big Oil Billionaires.