Manchin’s Energy-Permitting Bill Stirs House Democratic Backlash

Sep 9, 2022

(Bloomberg) Seventy-two House Democrats suggested they’re willing to force a government shutdown if party leaders move ahead with a plan to attach Senator Joe Manchin’s energy permitting bill to a must-pass stopgap spending measure.A letter to House leadership signed by progressives and other party members said moving forward with the West Virginia Democrat’s permitting overhaul plan would “force Members to choose” between protecting minority and low-income communities from further pollution or “funding the government.”

“We urge you to ensure that these provisions are kept out of a continuing resolution or any other must-pass legislation this year,” they wrote in the letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

The opposition comes as congressional leaders seeks to avoid a government shutdown just before the midterm elections as a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the government funded approaches. It also opens a rift with the White House, which supports the permitting bill and argues it benefits renewable energy.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer nonetheless said this week he intends to attach the permitting bill, which is still be drafted, to the funding measure to follow through on a deal with Manchin in exchange for his pivotal vote last month for President’s Joe Biden’s whittled-down economic and climate agenda.

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Democratic leaders, who have a narrow majority, can’t count on many House Republican votes to make up for any defections from their own ranks on the stopgap bill. Conservatives in the House GOP are pushing for a longer stopgap into next year to give Republicans more control over final spending decisions if the win control of the House after November’s midterm election.

The permitting legislation, which is still being drafted, could deliver speedier approval for Equitrans Midstream Corp.’s stalled $6.6 billion Mountain Valley gas pipeline crossing Manchin’s home state.

The legislation also may expedite approvals for new clean energy projects spurred by the climate law enacted last month and make changes to bedrock environmental laws, by putting two-year time limits on project reviews and limiting the power of states in Clean Water Act approvals.

It has dawn strident opposition from environmental groups as well as Senator Bernie Sanders who said Thursday said he’d vote against the stopgap government funding bill if Democratic leaders added it.