News lead: White House chief of staff Ron Klein called Pramila Jayapal (D-Wa.), the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus on Wednesday to urge her to support Manchin’s proposal to make it easier to download regulatory approval for power transmission and pipeline projects, people familiar with the matter said. Why it matters: Progressive opposition to the plan could not only scuttle a tentative deal between Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Manchin, but potentially trigger a government shutdown and cost Democrats critical support from swing voters voters just weeks before the midterm elections.
About 80 House progressives, led by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) asked congressional leaders to separate the enabling reform language from the government funding bill, which must be voted on by September 30th, or the government will SHUTDOWN.
State of play: Jayapal raised some of the White House’s concerns with other progressives on their weekly Zoom call Thursday morning.
So far, many progressives aren’t budging and continue to look to the Senate — and now the White House — daring them to send a funding bill they could potentially vote against.
What they say: “We don’t like it. We did not agree to that,” Jayapal said, adding that she wants to pass a “clean” CR and look at other avenues for the authorization measure, such as the National Defense Authorization Act.
“We understand the White House’s surprise,” Grijalva told Axios. “Maybe they’re upset that this didn’t go as planned.” “The White House needs to realize that there has been no inclusion on the part of the rank and file,” he said. “That the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) issue is huge and that many members are very protective about it.” Senior White House officials, led by Louisa Terrell, director of legislative affairs, are in regular contact with congressional leadership and lawmakers on all White House priorities, a White House official told Axios. Klein has reached out to Jayapal, as well as other lawmakers across the political spectrum, about the licensing issue, a person familiar with the matter told Axios. Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Steve Ricchetti, counsel to the president, Terrell and another member of legislative affairs are also in contact with the lawmakers.
House lawmakers also want to see the actual legislative text of Manchin’s proposal, rather than the various handouts going around town on it.
At a CPC executive session, “there was a recognition that there needs to be some reform to the licensing process, but some concern about some public reporting on what’s in it,” said Rep. David Cicilline (DR.I.). “Let’s see what the proposal is. Let’s see what the Senate really sends us.”
The big picture: Schumer insists he will include licensing reform in the government funding bill as part of a deal he cut with Manchin to secure his vote for the $740 billion anti-inflation law.
“I will add it to the CR and it will pass,” Schumer Tuesday. But Senate Republicans have indicated they will oppose anything short of a “clean” CR. House progressives further complicated the CR’s passage when they also called for the two issues to be separated. Meanwhile, the White House remains committed to the Schumer-Manchin deal. “The president is committed to the deal,” White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said Monday.
