Senate to vote on advancing permitting bill

Senate to vote on advancing permitting bill

With the midterm elections in the rearview mirror, the Senate is barreling ahead with major energy and infrastructure legislation in the lame-duck session.

The bill, which seeks to make it easier to build energy and other infrastructure projects more quickly, is slated for a procedural vote in the Senate on Monday, a key test of whether it will pass the upper chamber.

It’s expected to have at least some bipartisan support and has a strong chance of passing.

But it also faces significant hurdles down the stretch, some of which may have been amplified by the midterm results that gave Democrats commanding control of the House and Senate.

The bill’s supporters include various business interests, such as companies working in fossil fuels, renewable energy, construction, chemicals and more who say it will reduce longstanding bureaucratic hurdles so industry can get more done.

However, progressives, environmental advocates and tribes are among its opponents. After the election, many of those groups are doubling down, saying that Democrats have a mandate to implement more left-wing policies.

Following Tuesday’s results, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) also came out against the bill, with a spokesperson telling Politico that it “falls short in several areas.”

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Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:

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