Pretty much everyone, including myself, said that Joe’s little deal would not happen, and we keep getting the evidence
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said on Thursday that he’d oppose a short-term government funding bill if Democratic leaders attached legislation meant to ease construction of crude oil pipelines and other energy infrastructure.
“I will not vote for any bill that makes it easier for Big Oil to destroy the planet and that includes approving the Mountain Valley Pipeline,” the Vermont independent wrote on Twitter. “The Continuing Resolution must not be held hostage by Big Oil.”
The continuing resolution is a bill designed to keep the government funded for several weeks while Democrats and Republicans craft a year-long spending bill. The measure includes permitting reforms meant to speed up the approval of energy infrastructure projects including the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Sen. Joe Manchin’s home state of West Virginia.
Sanders took to the Senate floor and pummeled the legislation, which Democratic leaders and President Joe Biden agreed to pass in an effort to secure Manchin’s vote for the Inflation Reduction Act last month. Winning Manchin’s support was crucial for the party to advance the slimmed-down version of Biden’s economic agenda.
Well, that’s a bummer, Joe. Did you think this would happen? You should have. Perhaps you were just fine selling out West Virginia for a lie?
More than 70 House Democrats join push against Manchin’s permitting reform
More than 70 House Democrats are signing on to a letter pressing Democratic leaders to not include a side deal with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on reforming the permit process for energy projects in a bill funding the government.
The permitting reform language was offered to Manchin to win his vote on the massive climate, tax and health care bill known as the Inflation Reduction Act that was signed into law by President Biden last month.
Manchin provided the critical support to get that bill through the evenly divided Senate after winning concessions from Democratic leaders.
But in the new letter, the Democratic lawmakers are asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) not to include the permitting reforms championed by Manchin into a stopgap funding measure that Congress is expected to take up this month.
Without a stopgap funding measure, the government will shut down on Oct. 1.
Great job, Joe.
Read: Surprise: Lots Of Democrats Are Against Manchin’s Deal »