Biden, Manchin, GOP Back Gas Pipeline Amid Environmental Challenge

A legal battle over the construction of a new natural gas pipeline in West ‍Virginia has brought together an unlikely alliance. President Joe Biden’s administration, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and a⁣ group of Republican lawmakers have found common ​ground.

The deal to increase‍ the U.S. debt limit ⁢last month included a provision ⁣to approve the construction of the ‍Mountain Valley Pipeline, a natural gas project set ⁤to run between Virginia and West Virginia. However, the Wilderness Society, an environmental group, has challenged ⁢the‍ pipeline’s construction and obtained a ‌court order that temporarily halts the project.

The developers‌ of the ⁢Mountain Valley Pipeline have now ⁤turned to the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the appeals court’s decision and proceed with the⁤ pipeline. In support of this request, Sen. Joe ⁤Manchin filed an amicus curiae brief, followed by ‍nine Republican lawmakers who ⁢also submitted their own amicus brief expressing their support for‌ the pipeline ⁤project.

Notably, ​the Biden administration has also voiced its​ support‌ for​ the⁢ pipeline project. U.S. Solicitor ⁤General Elizabeth Prelogar argued that the debt limit bill passed by Congress ‌had removed the power of lower⁣ courts to ⁣stop the pipeline’s construction.

While President Biden, Sen. Manchin, and the Republican‍ lawmakers stand united in their support ‌for the Mountain⁣ Valley Pipeline, ​some Democratic lawmakers⁢ have taken the side of the Wilderness Society in opposing the project. They argue that the pipeline poses risks to the⁢ environment and private property rights.

Fossil Fuel Projects Divide Democrats

While the battle ​over the Mountain Valley Pipeline has brought together unlikely allies, it has also highlighted divisions within the⁤ Democratic Party. Several Democratic lawmakers‍ have sided⁢ with the Wilderness Society in opposing‍ the ⁤pipeline project.

In a joint ⁣amicus ‌brief, Democratic Virginia Reps. Jennifer McClellan, Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly, Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, and Jennifer Wexton ​expressed their concerns‌ about the ⁤pipeline’s potential ⁣impact on streams, wetlands, and ⁣private property. They urged ⁣the Fourth Circuit Court to consider these challenges.