Rep. Andy Ogles voted against the bipartisan debt-ceiling deal that prevented a U.S. default, a move economists warned could have destroyed millions of jobs and caused a major financial crisis. He’s also worked to roll back clean-energy and manufacturing incentives that are already bringing new plants and jobs to Tennessee—like battery and solar materials factories supported by the Inflation Reduction Act. These programs have helped fund billions in local investment and thousands of good-paying jobs, but Ogles’ votes would undercut that growth. He’s even opposed parts of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that are sending billions to Tennessee for roads, bridges, and clean-energy projects—investments that directly support construction and manufacturing jobs across the state.
- Ogles voted “No” on the Fiscal Responsibility Act on May 31, 2023, when the House passed it 314–117 to avoid default. (cbsnews.com)
- Moody’s Analytics estimated a U.S. default would wipe out roughly 6 million jobs (with some scenarios near 7–8 million), while the White House Council of Economic Advisers warned even brinkmanship could cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. (cbsnews.com)
¶ He backed rollbacks of manufacturing incentives that are drawing new plants and jobs to Tennessee.
- Ogles authored amendments to H.R. 1 (Lower Energy Costs Act), which the House passed on March 30, 2023; the bill text repeals key Inflation Reduction Act programs, including the methane emissions fee, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and home energy rebate/contractor‑training grants—policies designed to spur private‑sector investment and local hiring. (congress.gov)
- Tennessee is already landing IRA‑driven factory investments, such as a $255.6 million §48C advanced‑energy manufacturing tax credit allocation for Highland Materials’ polysilicon project in Surgoinsville. Undoing these credits undercuts such deals and the jobs they bring. (energy.gov)
- GM–LG’s Ultium Cells battery plant in Spring Hill employs about 1,300 people and is ramping U.S. battery production; policy uncertainty and credit rollbacks raise costs and weaken investment signals that underpin these expansions. (news.gm.com)
- Evidence on the broader impact: independent modeling finds repealing major IRA clean‑electricity credits would raise average U.S. electricity rates 5–10% in the 2030s—cost pressure that discourages new investment and job growth. (rff.org)
- In 2025, House Republicans advanced a sweeping package to roll back or sharply curtail many IRA clean‑energy credits, a shift analysts and industry warned would deter U.S. manufacturing and project development. (apnews.com)
- Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Tennessee is slated to receive roughly $6.3 billion for highways/bridges, $651 million for public transit, and about $88 million for EV charging over five years—funding that supports construction, supply‑chain, and operations jobs statewide. (transportation.gov)
- For FY2024 alone, FHWA allocated about $1.28 billion to Tennessee for roads, bridges, and related programs, supporting ongoing projects and the workers who build them. (wsmv.com)
- EPA has also awarded Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dollars to Tennessee for water infrastructure upgrades, catalyzing local construction and engineering employment. (epa.gov)