Capitol Light/Climate Politics
Today's ten tidbits
Congress is back in session until the end of July when the August recess begins. The Senate is scheduled to reconvene starting September 5th, while the House won’t come back in session until the 12th.
September will be crunch time for both chambers. Dominating the debates will be FY24 appropriations. The far-right House Freedom Caucus refuses to move on from their opposition to the debt ceiling deal struck by Speaker McCarthy and President Biden.
Caucus members have already begun to shoot warning shots across Speaker McCarthy’s bow by refusing to go along with even the most mundane procedural matters like issuing rules for the debate of measures on the House floor. In what can only be called a bizarre situation, Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was voted out of the Caucus amid accusations of her being an ally of the speaker and not far-right enough.
Greene has given speeches to white supremacist organizations and suggested that southern and midwestern states should secede from the union. Greene has also been reported saying that a wildfire in California was started by a laser “beamed from space and controlled by a prominent Jewish banking family with connections to powerful Democrats.”
Freedom Caucus members appear to be willing to shut the government down if they don’t get their way on the appropriations bills. The next few weeks will test McCarthy’s grip on the narrow four-vote majority that Republicans currently have in the House.
Democrats, at this point, are standing back and watching what they believe will be chaos of the Republican’s making—hoping that they will be able to ride the dysfunction into the control of Congress and the re-election of President Biden.
To get anything done, it’s like McCarthy will again have to depend on the Democrats to pass critical appropriations legislation. The speaker relied on Democratic votes to pass the budget ceiling deal.
Between now and the end of July, look for a lot of messaging but not much by way of accomplishments. The battle over the Defense Appropriations Act will provide a window into the near-future scheme of things. Ultra-conservative House and Senate members are distraught over the military’s paying for abortions and transgender medical procedures.
Climate activists should expect attempts to claw back the climate-related portions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and an ongoing debate over the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and energy facility permitting.
Although the MVP was approved as part of the budget ceiling deal, a federal court has again stopped the pipeline. Unsurprisingly, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) went ballistic over the decision. Manchin was promised (NEPA) permitting reforms that would speed approvals for pipelines and other fossil fuel infrastructure projects in return for his support of the IRA.
Progressive Democrats in Congress refused to go along with the deal. Plan B was to include the reforms in the budget resolution. Manchin is “target number one” of the Republicans in the upcoming elections. Manchin’s support of the IRA is being held against him by voters. He’s likely to face Governor Jim Justice in the 2024 election. Justice was a Democrat who turned Republican and a coal mine operator. Look for Manchin to demand again that MVP is included in legislation—this time possibly limiting the powers of federal courts in environmental matters.
One other thing climate champions should be looking for is the pullback of unions on some of the IRA provisions and how the administration is implementing them. The auto industry—labor and manufacturers—believe Biden’s pushing too hard to replace internal combustion vehicles with electric power. Look for more discussions on the role of unions in the 2024 elections and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Here are today’s ten tidbits.
ESG is too woke for Republicans. While framing criticism of ESG as holding Wall Street to account, House Republicans appear to be picking spots where they’ll minimize friction with the financial services industry. (Politico)
Not just personal vehicles. The Loan Programs Office typically funds new energy technologies and electric-vehicle manufacturing, but it could also be funding mass transit projects. (Bloomberg)
Promises, promises. States are supposed to build EV charging stations while making sure their benefits reach disadvantaged communities. They’re off to a shaky start. (Grist)
Making exceptions for solar and wind. The bipartisan debt deal approved by Congress in recent weeks will limit the duration of environmental impact studies for energy projects but left out important legislation to expand power transmission capacity between regions. (Reuters)
Nuke it. Congress has seen a surge this year of bipartisan nuclear legislation that, put together, would produce a mammoth build-out of reactors and fuel supplies over the next decade. (E&E News)
Not again. Mountain Valley Pipeline construction will come to a halt in a national forest while a federal appeals court reviews a challenge from environmental groups. A panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit is set to review the Interior Department’s earlier record of decision, which allowed for construction to start in the Jefferson National Forest. (Politico)
Saving rather than extracting. Defining conservation as a specific “use” of public lands is shaping up to be the primary point of legal opposition to a proposed federal lands rule that would prioritize conservation over fossil fuels extraction and allow public lands management to adapt to a changing climate. (Bloomberg Law)
Unions are not so sure. White House faces an awkward balancing act as UAW negotiates contract with automakers General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. (Washington Post)
There’s no trickling auto workers. United Auto Workers says federal electric vehicle manufacturing incentives are going to companies but not trickling down to employees, and wants to see better benefits for workers before endorsing President Biden’s re-election. (The Hill)
Wood they would. Attorneys general from 10 states plan to sue the U.S. EPA over insufficient emissions standards for wood-burning stoves. (Associated Press)
Image of US House of Representatives courtesy of wikimeida.
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