President Donald Trump’s attempt to create U.S. jobs by taxing solar panel imports could backfire.
That’s according to the CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association trade group, who says it’s domestic workers that will feel the pain.
“We have been the fastest growing form of new energy...and this is putting the brakes on that crazy growth,” Abigail Ross Hopper told Cheddar in an interview. “These are not people who are looking for what nationality the company they work for is. They just want to feed their families and pay their mortgages. And those are the people whose jobs are at risk.”
Earlier this week President Trump signed a law that would impose a 30 percent tariff on imported solar panel and sells, a move the administration says will encourage domestic manufacturing.
But the SEIA says the vast majority of the 260,000 Americans employed in the industry work in peripheral industries like installation. Ross Hopper says the bill will result in 23,000 layoffs this year and delay or cancel billions of dollars of investment in the sector.
She also says it might dissuade U.S. consumers from going green.
“Most [businesses and consumers] want to choose solar because it saves them money,” she said. “This decision changes that calculus.”
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/solar-power-in-america).
President Joe Biden took to the podium to discuss the deal that will keep the Port of Los Angeles open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week as the nation grapples with supply chain issues.
Members of the House returned to Washington, DC, on Tuesday to vote on a short-term increase of the U.S. debt limit. The temporary measure will allow the federal government to pay its bills until December 3.
Futures rebounded this morning in reaction to positive news from Merck that its covid-19 treatment pill is 50 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations and death. It comes after a rocky month on Wall Street, which saw all the major averages post their worst months in over a year. Chris Vecchio, Senior Analyst, at DailyFX joined Wake Up with Cheddar for more.
Makena Kelly, Politics reporter at The Verge, joined Cheddar News to break down Thursday's congressional testimony from Facebook's global head of security, as the company comes under fire for its plans to attract kids.
