Energy Deal Stalls: Senate Senators Blame House GOP

Senators Joe Manchin (I-W. Va. ) and Tom Carper (D-Del. ) have announced that their push to include “permitting reform” in important legislation this year has failed. They both pointed the finger at House Republicans. Manchin said it was unfortunate that the U. S. was missing out on a significant chance to pass a bipartisan bill that would speed up energy project approvals. He added that House Republicans had made things difficult for the incoming Trump administration by not supporting this bill. Carper echoed Manchin’s sentiments, stating that House Republicans had let their desire for perfection get in the way of achieving a good outcome. He expressed disappointment that they had walked away from the opportunity. For years, lawmakers from both parties have been trying to reach a compromise on legislation that would make it easier to build energy projects faster. Republicans want to speed up the construction of fossil fuel infrastructure and protect corporations from legal challenges. Some Democrats support this idea because they believe it would help accelerate the development of renewable energy and electric power. However, other Democrats oppose these policies because they fear they could weaken environmental standards and reduce community input.

Last year, Republicans did secure some of their desired policies, such as time limits on environmental analyses, as part of a deal to raise the debt limit. But leaders from both parties and the energy industry wanted to go further. Manchin and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo. ) introduced a bill this summer that gained significant support in the Senate. They had been discussing the bill with House leaders for months. This news comes after Rep. Bruce Westerman (Ark. ), a key Republican negotiator, said that discussions were still ongoing. He mentioned that progress had been made and that they were working on a few remaining issues to reach a deal.

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