Staff Reports
Climate activists oppose Sen. Joe Manchin's push to speed permitting for energy infrastructure projects, The Washington Post reports.
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Democratic House Natural Resources Committee Chair Ral M. Grijalva will vote against Manchin's permitting reform bill, according to a news release. The law will speed up the environmental approval process for all energy infrastructure projects.
Sanders termed it a "massive giveaway to the fossil fuel industry" in a Senate floor speech on Thursday. He said Manchin's bill will promote fossil fuel output and let energy companies "pollute… and ruin our world."
Sanders said 59 House Democrats plan to write a letter opposing faster government permitting for energy infrastructure projects. The Hill reports that Grijalva said he felt no need to help Manchin.
Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi all vowed in July to help pass the package in exchange for Manchin sponsoring the Democrats' massive climate, tax, and healthcare spending bill. The permission bill intends to cut environmental assessment periods and shield energy projects from legal and federal objections.
Manchin favors the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline project, which will be completed under the proposal. Manchin and Schumer want to attach the bill to a financing measure that must pass by Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown.
Schumer: "Permitting reform is part of the [Inflation Reduction Act], and we will get it done,” Schumer said Wednesday, E&E news reported.
The Biden administration has resisted programs that would expand fossil fuel output to accomplish its climate goals of reducing national carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
Manchin, Sanders, and Grijalva's offices did not immediately comment.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on DAILY CALLER.
