Like a zombie rising from the dead, Joe Manchin's dirty deal to weaken environmental protection laws and speed up approval of energy projects like the
trans-Appalachian Mountain Valley gas pipeline in his state in return for
voting for Joe Biden's "inflation reduction act" was reintroduced to the Senate as an amendment to the must-pass defense appropriations bill. (NDAA) The surprise here is that environmental activists rose up and compelled congressional Democrats to reject the bill once again. It is a sign that Manchin's leverage over a fifty-fifty Senate is at an end with the win in Georgia by Senator Warnock. His defeat came despite the support of congressional leaders like Nancy Pelosi and the President.
Seven hundred and fifty organizations sent a letter to House Speaker Pelosi calling the provision a "cruel and direct attack" on the environment, warning that supporters of the dirty deal would be held accountable. Activists said that his bill is not dead yet and that the industry will try again before the end of this Congress. Manchin receives more campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry than any other senator, so his latest effort is consistent with his sources of funding. One environmental organizer said,“Nobody wants Manchin’s filthy lump of coal, no matter how many ways he tries to polish it,” [photo credit: Guardian]
