Four Democratic senators are publicly questioning whether the Trump administration can be trusted to fairly implement a bipartisan permitting reform bill, and they are demanding the restoration of billions in canceled climate funding as a condition for their support.
In a letter to the negotiators of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), Sens. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Ron Wyden (Ore.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), and Ed Markey (Mass.) wrote that the administration has proven to be an “untrustworthy and erratic negotiating partner” that has shown a willingness to “ignore and violate the plain language of the law.”
“The promise of BAAJA will only succeed if President Trump takes care that it is faithfully executed,” the senators wrote. “The Trump administration’s record gives us no basis to assume that he will.”
The letter marks a visible fracture within the Democratic caucus as the Senate prepares to take up the legislation, which aims to streamline permitting for fossil fuel, renewable energy, and other infrastructure projects by curbing certain environmental reviews. While the bill has drawn some bipartisan support, the four senators’ stance could complicate its path forward if other Democrats join them in opposition.
As a show of good faith, the senators are asking the Department of Energy to reinstate every award it terminated in October 2025 that has not already been restored, allow recipients to draw down those funds under the original award terms, and commit in writing that it will not terminate awards based on the political identity of a recipient’s state or the party affiliation of its elected officials.
“While such action may not fully address the wide range of concerns individual Senators have about various portions of this complex legislation, it would represent an important first step and carry far more weight with us and, more importantly, our constituents whose awards were illegally terminated, than mere informal assurances,” they wrote.
The Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on the bill as soon as it returns from recess in the lame-duck session. Previous attempts to pass similar permitting legislation have failed, but the current bill appears to have at least some bipartisan backing.
The senators’ demand comes amid broader tensions over the administration’s handling of energy policy, including its recent moves to reshape federal terminology around emerging technologies and its ongoing conditioning of political cooperation on various issues.
Whether the administration will respond to the senators’ request remains unclear, but the letter underscores the fragile trust that will be needed to pass major legislation in a divided Congress.
