Senator Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat from West Virginia, has announced his support for a legislative effort to repeal President Joe Biden's suspension of tariffs on solar panel imports from Southeast Asian nations. The resolution, introduced by Republican Senator Rick Scott in February, seeks to restore tariffs on companies in Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, which are the industry's primary suppliers.
Manchin is the first Democrat to co-sponsor the resolution, which would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate to overturn a presidential veto. With Democrats holding a narrow majority, the effort faces an uphill battle. Biden, a Democrat, has pledged to veto the legislation.
The resolution was introduced under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows Congress to reverse federal agency rules. However, a CRA bill expires if it is not passed within 60 days of its introduction.
Manchin argued that the United States is too reliant on nations like China for its energy needs and failing to enforce trade laws undermines new laws that seek to boost domestic supply chains. “I cannot fathom why the Administration and Congress would consider extending that reliance any longer and am proud to join this CRA to rescind the rule,” he said in a statement.
The effort to restore tariffs is aimed at supporting domestic solar manufacturers that have struggled to compete with cheap panels made overseas. Last June, Biden waived the tariffs for two years after solar project developers warned that they would increase costs and freeze development of clean energy facilities needed to meet the nation's climate change goals.
The resolution mirrors a bipartisan measure that is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives on Friday. It remains to be seen whether the effort will gain enough support to overcome a presidential veto and restore tariffs on solar panel imports from Southeast Asia.
