Senate Democrats on Monday night released a short-term government funding bill that includes Sen. Joe Manchin's controversial permitting reform.
Most Republicans and some progressive Democrats oppose the reform, championed by Manchin, D-W.Va., to expedite energy project permits.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., made a deal with Manchin to include the reform in the continuing resolution (CR) in exchange for support of President Joe Biden's since-passed climate and health care bill.
Congress must pass the CR by midnight Friday to avert a government shutdown and keep open the government past the November election to Dec. 16.
Sen. Richard Shelby, R- Ala., joined the Republicans who are against the measure due to the permitting reform.
"We have made significant progress toward a CR that is as clean as possible. But, if the Democrats insist on including permitting reform, I will oppose it," Shelby tweeted early Tuesday.
The Senate plans to hold a procedural vote on the bill on Tuesday night, Bloomberg said. If the bill fails to get 60 votes in the Senate, Schumer is expected to strip out the permitting language and try again.
The permitting reform would green-light federal approval of Equitrans Midstream Corp.'s stalled $6.6 billion natural gas pipeline running through Manchin's home state.
"This is the most important thing that we can do today, and it's the most critical problem we have in front of us, which is energy independence and security," Manchin said Sunday on Fox News. "It would be basically a lost moment in history if we don't do this."
Still, Manchin has failed to line up the 60 votes for the bill's passage.
Bloomberg reported that Manchin has spent days pleading with Republicans to accept a compromise version of the permitting changes.
GOP members, however, have little interest supporting a measure that they say is payback for his role in helping the Democrats pass Biden's climate legislation.
Senate Republican leaders are urging colleagues to vote against the CR and instead support a more comprehensive permitting reform bill sponsored by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
Progressives, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have promised to vote against the CR.
Bloomberg said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is angry over the pipeline provision given opposition in northern Virginia to its completion.
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