Friends of the Earth Applauds Setback for Manchin’s Dirty Deal, Win for Environmental Justice

WASHINGTON – Ahead of a highly anticipated procedural vote this evening, Leader Schumer removed Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-WVa.) controversial legislative language from a Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government. Sen. Manchin’s rider would gut bedrock environmental laws, strip community voices from the permitting process, expedite dirty energy projects, and force completion of the fracked-gas Mountain Valley Pipeline, which courts have previously rejected.

Karen Orenstein, Director of Climate and Energy Justice at Friends of the Earth, issued the following statement:

Leader Schumer’s decision to strip Senator Manchin’s dirty deal from the Continuing Resolution represents a huge fumble for Big Oil’s agenda.

Although frontline communities, climate science and common sense won tonight, we are vigilantly watchdogging Manchin’s next move. 

We urge Democratic Senators to continue defying Leader Schumer and Senator Manchin’s bullying and reject this racist, classist dirty deal. Members of the House and Senate must never allow Manchin to use must-pass legislation as a vehicle for fulfilling Big Oil’s wish list.

Communications contact: Brittany Miller, [email protected], (202) 222-0746