September 26, 2022 7:51pm EDT
Manchin 'didn't expect' Republicans to join Bernie Sanders in opposition to energy permitting bill
Manchin's permitting reform will be attached to legislation that must pass to keep the government open.
By Charles Creitz | Fox News
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin expressed surprise the GOP is whipping against his energy permitting bill, which is to be included in the continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown.
Manchin, one of few Democrats supportive of an all-of-the-above approach to U.S. energy production, said he knew he would never get Vermont socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders on board, but did not expect his neighboring state's senior senator to be against it, too.
Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is opposed to the Manchin bill, Fox News' Neil Cavuto reported Monday, with Manchin's Mountain State counterpart Sen. Shelley Moore Capito being one of few Republicans to have reportedly expressed support.
Capito, however, has a separate permitting bill in the works, which Republicans reportedly would rather see unified support for.
"I never did think Bernie would ever [support it] – he's never been for any permitting reforms whatsoever, and he's not been for an energy policy that works for America -- That means all-in; you have to have fossil," Manchin said.
"You have to be strong with your fossil [fuel production]. You have to be energy independent if you want to be secured and if you want to be the superpower of the world, we can walk and chew gum. We can invest in the technology for the future, making sure we have the energy we need today. So I never did think I'd have Bernie and some of the extreme far left."
Manchin noted when the House, Senate and presidency were in Republican hands early in the Trump era, domestic energy permitting reform was never done, and that he would likely have been the only Democrat to support.
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https://www.foxnews.com/media/manchin-didnt-expect-republicans-join-bernie-sanders-opposition-energy-permitting-bill
