Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin declared Tuesday that permitting talks were alive and well — one day after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer threw cold water on a deal.
In an interview Tuesday, the West Virginia Democrat downplayed the idea that partisan divisions on permitting and grid legislation had deepened after a landmark Federal Energy Regulatory Commission transmission rule enraged Republicans.
“People think this fixes everything, it really doesn’t,” Manchin said of the rule. “It might start us in the direction, but the bottom line is everybody that we spoke to and everybody we’ve been working with understands you’ve got to have permitting reform.”
On a call Monday with reporters, Schumer had said he told Manchin he was “happy to listen” but it would be “virtually impossible” to get legislation passed this Congress.
