The Senate on Thursday night rejected Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) bid to tag his controversial permitting bill to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Needing 60 votes to append his bill to the NDAA, Manchin won only a 47-47 tie, despite an endorsement Thursday morning from President Biden, who said it would “cut Americans’ energy bills, promote U.S. energy security, and boost our ability to get energy projects built and connected to the grid.”

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) speaks against Manchin amendment. | C-SPAN

The Building American Energy Security Act of 2022, which would accelerate permitting of energy and mineral infrastructure projects, faced opposition from Democrats — who saw it as a concession to the oil and gas industry — and Republicans upset with Manchin’s vote for the Inflation Reduction Act. (See Manchin Presses Permitting Proposal Excluded from Defense Bill.)

It also faced opposition from state regulators upset by provisions increasing federal transmission siting authority. “States are not the problem,” the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners said in a letter. “Rather, existing federal law and policies have been the biggest barrier to infrastructure rollout.”

Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, the American Council on Renewable Energy, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Solar Energy Industries Association and Third Way issued a statement supporting the transmission provisions.

“A comprehensive approach to advancing new transmission investment is long overdue and urgently needed,” the groups said. “While it is not comprehensive, we believe the transmission portion of the Building American Energy Security Act of 2022, as updated last week, will make incremental, yet meaningful, progress.”

Senate votes on Manchin permitting bill. | C-SPAN

 

Manchin gave an impassioned 11-minute speech on the Senate floor before the vote. Afterward, he issued a statement putting the blame for the bill’s failure on Republicans.

“Once again, Mitch McConnell and Republican leadership have put their own political agenda above the needs of the American people,” he said.

“As frustrating as the political games of Washington are, I will not give up,” he added.

Among the “yes” votes were five Republicans. Nine Democrats and Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont voted “no.” Six Republicans abstained.

The $858 billion NDAA passed later Thursday evening on an 83-11 vote.