A group of over 70 House Democrats signed a letter calling on party leaders not to include permitting reforms pushed by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., in an upcoming funding measure.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., made an agreement with Manchin to change the language on permitting energy projects in order to gain Manchin's support for the Inflation Reduction Act that President Joe Biden signed into law last month.
"The inclusion of these provisions in a continuing resolution, or any other must-pass legislation, would silence the voices of frontline and environmental justice communities by insulating them from scrutiny," reads the letter, which was sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., according to The Hill.
"This would cause members to choose between protecting environmental justice communities from further pollution or funding the government," it continues. "We urge you to ensure that these provisions are kept out of a continuing resolution or any other must-pass legislation this year."
The Hill notes that the letter was organized by Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., who said last month that he heels no "obligation" to back the agreement that Schumer made with Manchin.
"Why should Democrats deliver the Republican agenda on these issues when they're unified in voting against everything?" he added.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in a floor speech Thursday that he opposes the funding resolution because of the "disastrous side deal" that Schumer made, saying, "If the United States Congress goes on record and says, 'Yes we are going to support more fossil fuel reduction, more carbon emissions,' the signal we are sending to our own people and the planet is a terrible, terrible signal."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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