Member-only story
Bernie Sanders Has Some Thoughts on Joe Manchin’s Pipeline Side Deal.
If it’s included in the budget, he’s voting no.
It’s no secret that since the beginning of the Joe Biden Presidency and even before, Vermont’s Bernie Sanders and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin have not exactly gotten along. Not really surprising, since they are quite literally polar opposites and represent two diametrically opposed wings of the Democratic Party. But as time has gone on, the frustration particularly on Bernie Sanders’ end has grown increasingly apparent and now, with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act behind us, it’s once again reaching a fever pitch regarding a side deal that was made in order to get Manchin to go alone with it.
Joseph Zeballos-Roig and Ben Winck with Business Insider write:
“Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said on Thursday that he’d oppose a short-term government funding bill if Democratic leaders attached legislation meant to ease construction of crude oil pipelines and other energy infrastructure.
“I will not vote for any bill that makes it easier for Big Oil to destroy the planet and that includes approving the Mountain Valley Pipeline,” the Vermont independent wrote on Twitter. “The Continuing Resolution must not be held hostage by Big Oil.”
