Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) heaped praise on Republicans in the wake of a debt ceiling agreement being reached — but snubbed President Joe Biden.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 was released by Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) office on Sunday and includes an order to the secretary of the Army to issue any permits required to complete the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s construction.
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The bill was negotiated by the White House and House Republicans; however, Manchin gave sole credit to McCarthy for the Mountain Valley Pipeline win.
“Last summer, I introduced legislation to complete the MVP,” Manchin tweeted Sunday evening. “I am pleased Speaker McCarthy and his leadership team see the tremendous value in completing the MVP to increase domestic energy production and drive down costs across America and especially in WV.”
Last summer, I introduced legislation to complete the Mountain Valley Pipeline. I am pleased Speaker McCarthy and his leadership team see the tremendous value in completing the MVP to increase domestic energy production and drive down costs across America and especially in WV.
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) May 29, 2023
The Biden administration supported the project in exchange for Manchin’s vote for the Inflation Reduction Act last year, which prompted pushback from climate advocates and progressive leaders, with many organizations calling for a halt of fossil fuel usage.
Manchin has been pushing for over a year to complete the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would deliver gas from Wetzel County to southern Virginia but has been denied regulatory approval.
The embattled project would release about 40 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s calculations.
The debt legislation declares the Mountain Valley Pipeline will “increase the reliability of natural gas supplies and the availability of natural gas at reasonable prices, will allow natural gas producers to access additional markets for their product, and will reduce carbon emissions and facilitate the energy transition.”
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“I am proud to have fought for this critical project and to have secured the bipartisan support necessary to get it across the finish line,” Manchin said.
The project’s speedy approval for completion comes days after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the FERC, the agency overseeing the pipeline construction, “inadequately explained its decision not to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement,” according to the ruling.
