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Manchin clears way to move spending bill

COMPILED BY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS

WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has abandoned, for now, his push to speed up the permitting process for energy projects, easing the Senate’s path toward passing a stopgap spending bill that would keep the federal government running when the fiscal year ends at midnight Friday.

A procedural vote Tuesday advancing the funding bill succeeded easily, 72-23, after Democrats announced that the West Virginia senator’s proposal would be stripped from the final legislation.

The measure excludes the White House call for spending $22 billion to respond to covid-19, and $3.9 billion to fight against an outbreak of the monkeypox virus.

Republican lawmakers were overwhelmingly opposed to the health funding. At least 10 Republican senators would have to support the measure to overcome procedural hurdles and advance in that chamber.

The most contentious piece of the legislation was Manchin’s plan to streamline the permitting process for energy projects and make it easier for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would run through West Virginia and Virginia for more than 300 miles, to proceed. The bill would have effectively approved the pipeline and steered legal challenges to a different federal court.

In a statement, Manchin confirmed he had asked Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer to remove the permitting language and said he was holding to his belief that “we should never come to the brink of a government shutdown over politics.”

Manchin said he was ready to work with colleagues to move forward with permitting legislation at another time.

“Senator Manchin, myself and others will continue to have conversations about the best way to ensure responsible permitting reform is passed before the end of the year,” Schumer said.

Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, had secured a commitment from President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders to have a vote on the permitting package in return for his support of a landmark law to curb climate change.

While Republicans have voiced support for streamlining the permitting process for energy projects, some, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell panned the effort.

“What our Democratic colleagues have produced is a phony fig leaf that would actually set back the cause of real permitting reform,” McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday on the Senate floor.

McConnell said he would vote against proceeding to the short-term spending bill if it included Manchin’s legislation and encouraged others to vote no, too, a powerful signal to GOP lawmakers.

Other Republicans made clear they agreed with McConnell’s position.

Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, a member of GOP leadership, called the Schumer-Manchin permitting deal a “political payoff” to Manchin. Sen. John Cornyn said the deal and Manchin’s crucial vote for the climate/health care bill “engendered a lot of bad blood” among Republicans.

“There’s not a lot of sympathy on our side to provide Senator Manchin a reward,” the Texan said.

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee who worked on the spending bill, said in a statement, “we have made significant progress toward a continuing resolution that is as clean as possible. But if the Democrats insist on including permitting reform, I will oppose it.”

Top Democratic appropriators also said they were unhappy with the inclusion of Manchin’s proposal, but said keeping the government running took priority. Even if it had cleared the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, it faced hurdles in the House, where dozens of Democrats had called for the permitting measure to be stripped out.

“I am disappointed that unrelated permitting reform was attached to this bill. This is a controversial matter that should be debated on its own merits,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “However, with four days left in the fiscal year, we cannot risk a government shutdown; we must work to advance this bill.”

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was poised to vote against taking up the funding package if it included the pipeline language, another sign that lawmakers didn’t have the 60 votes needed to proceed.

“We should pass a continuing resolution that is free of the unprecedented and dangerous” pipeline deal, Kaine said.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said she is “extremely disappointed” that the permitting reform deal was attached to the spending legislation, but urged colleagues to support it.

Environmental groups celebrated the hard-earned victory.

“Good riddance to Manchin’s dirty backroom deal and the bottom-of-the-barrel politics that it represented,” said Jean Su, energy justice director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

FRIDAY DEADLINE

Both chambers of Congress must approve legislation by Friday, which is the end of the fiscal year, to prevent a partial government shutdown. While lawmakers are again waiting to the final moments of the fiscal year to pass legislation keeping the government running, they are confident they will do so.

It represents the last bit of unfinished business for lawmakers before the midterm elections in November. Lawmakers from both parties are eager to wrap up and spend time on the campaign trail, lowering the risk of a federal stoppage.

The funding bill also contains disaster assistance, including $2.5 billion to help New Mexico communities recover from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, the largest wildfire in the state’s history; $2 billion for a block grant program that aids the economic recovery of communities impacted by recent disasters and $20 million for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements previously authorized for Jackson, Miss.

It also transfers funds from a disaster response program at the Defense Department to a program at the State Department helping resettle Afghans. Refugees granted parole could continue to receive the same benefits, but it does not include a pathway to permanent legal status.

The bill would provide an additional $1 billion for a program that helps low-income households afford to heat their homes.

There is $112.5 million to improve security at U.S. courthouses and federal facilities, and money to extend the National Flood Insurance Program also included in the legislation.

There has been wide bipartisan support for boosting support for Ukraine.

The bill includes $3 billion to provide military assistance to Ukraine, including training, equipment, weapons and logistics support; $1.5 billion to replenish U.S. stocks of equipment provided to Ukraine or to foreign countries that have provided support; and $2.8 billion for continued military, intelligence and other defense support.

An additional $35 million will go to fund responses to “potential nuclear and radiological incidents” in Ukraine and prevent that material from being stolen.

The White House issued a statement in support of the stopgap spending bill as the voting took place, applauding the help for Ukraine.

“The people of Ukraine have inspired the world, and the administration remains committed to supporting the Ukrainian people as they continue to stand resolute and display extraordinary courage in the face of Russia’s full-scale invasion,” the White House statement read.

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2022-09-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

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