This is a developing story… Please check back for possible updates...
Climate campaigners and people on the frontlines of the planetary emergency celebrated Tuesday after Sen. Joe Manchin requested that his fossil fuel-friendly permitting reforms be stripped out of a stopgap funding bill.
"Tonight's turnaround represents a remarkable, against-all-odds victory by a determined grassroots climate movement against the overwhelming financial and political might of the fossil fuel industry and its Senate enablers," declared Food & Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) agreed to hold a vote on permitting reforms in exchange for Manchin (D-W.Va.) supporting the Inflation Reduction Act. However, a growing number of lawmakers indicated in recent days that they would oppose an urgent government funding bill if it included the "dirty deal," which would fast-track fossil fuel projects.
Given the mounting opposition to his Energy Independence and Security Act, Manchin on Tuesday evening asked Schumer to cut out his proposal.
"While the campaign against polluting oil and gas is far from over," said Hauter, "this repudiation of Sen. Manchin's so-called permitting reform bill marks a huge victory against dirty energy—and also against dirty backroom Washington deal-making."
"This victory would not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of hundreds of national and grassroots organizations, along with concerned Americans from coast to coast, working together for the health and safety of frontline communities and a livable future for the planet," she stressed.
Collin Rees, United States program manager at Oil Change International, agreed, saying that "Sen. Manchin's dirty deal went down in flames today because Indigenous and frontline communities raised their voices and fought back."
"This legislation would have had deadly consequences for communities and the climate, and we applaud all members of Congress who stood with frontline communities and boldly opposed it. That's real climate leadership," he said, noting the need for "building out clean, renewable energy" rather than more fossil fuel infrastructure.
"Manchin's 'permitting reform' is far from dead, and we will remain vigilant against any attempts to gut bedrock environmental laws by attaching this dangerous package to other must-pass legislation before the end of the Congress," he added. "But Manchin's withdrawal of the bill is a powerful victory for the climate movement and communities threatened by fossil fuel expansion."
Neither Schumer nor Manchin gave any indication they are fully giving up on the effort, with the West Virginian saying that "it is unfortunate that members of the United States Senate are allowing politics to put the energy security of our nation at risk."
"A failed vote on something as critical as comprehensive permitting reform only serves to embolden leaders like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin who wish to see America fail," Manchin added. "For that reason and my firmly held belief that we should never come to the brink of a government shutdown over politics, I have asked Majority Leader Schumer to remove the permitting language from the continuing resolution we will vote on this evening."
Schumer, for his part, blamed Republicans—who want permitting policy to go even further in favor of polluters.
"Because American families should not be subject to a Republican-manufactured government shutdown, Sen. Manchin has requested, and I have agreed, to move forward and pass the recently filed continuing resolution legislation without the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022," he said. "Sen. 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."
According to Hauter, Schumer and other Democratic leaders "would be wise to heed the large and growing chorus of voices demanding an end to the fossil fuel era, and put Manchin's permitting plan down for good."
This content originally appeared on Common Dreams - Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community and was authored by Jessica Corbett.
Jessica Corbett | Radio Free (2022-09-27T21:32:42+00:00) ‘Against-All-Odds Victory’ for Climate Movement as Manchin Dirty Deal Defeated. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2022/09/27/against-all-odds-victory-for-climate-movement-as-manchin-dirty-deal-defeated-2/
Please log in to upload a file.
There are no updates yet.
Click the Upload button above to add an update.