A bill to avert a government shutdown cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday after lawmakers stripped a proposal from Sen. Joe Manchin on energy permitting reform from the legislation.
By a vote of 72-23, the Senate agreed to proceed to debate on the temporary funding bill, which will keep government services operating until Dec. 16. This sets Congress on track to likely clear the bill through both chambers and send it to President Biden’s desk before government funding runs out at midnight Friday.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the Manchin proposal was the only sticking point in their chamber. And House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has been adamant that his chamber won’t allow a government shutdown.
‘It is unfortunate that members of the United States Senate are allowing politics to put the energy security of our nation at risk,’ Manchin, D-W.Va., said in a statement announcing that he would ask Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to remove the permitting reform from the funding bill.
Schumer said Tuesday that the Senate will come back to the energy permitting reform issue later this year, as per a deal he made with Manchin last month.
